


Prime Mover

by Thomasina_Thorne



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23548471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thomasina_Thorne/pseuds/Thomasina_Thorne
Relationships: Cardinal Copia/Original Character(s), Multi Ghoul | Swiss Army Ghoul/Original Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

Hetty wasn’t exactly looking for a new job. Being one of few qualified stitchers in the area meant her skills as a seamstress were in high demand for the various performing arts venues in the area and she was paid accordingly. It was a stray email, sent in error to her as HBlakely instead of the intended HBlakeley, thanking the recipient for their interest in designing and producing the clergy’s new vestments. 

Against her better judgment, Hetty responded and set up an interview. She pulled her portfolio together and included swatches of fabric she had embroidered and set off to the address she was given. Standing in front of an inconspicuous brownstone, Hetty glanced down at the name she had scrawled on a scrap of paper.

Sister Imperator 

After looking around, she finally found a buzzer. Pressing down, she was thinking she would be able to hear it echo from inside but instead, she was met with the scratch of an intercom instead.

“Hetty Blakely?”

“Uh, yes,” Hetty called out in response. “I have an appointment with Sister Imperator.”

“Of course. She will meet you in the first room on the right.”

There was the mechanical sound of a lock clicking open signaling to Hetty that she should open the door.

Once inside, she was surprised to see that the walls were made of what looked to be marble with a floor that matched almost entirely except for the crosshatch of darker marble on the edges. Sure enough, there was a solid black door immediately on her right. Hetty knocked once before pushing the door open.

As soon as she walked in, an older woman with a salt and pepper bob and a well please smile looked up from behind her desk.

“Hetty Blakely I presume.”

“Yes,” Hetty nodded and clutched her portfolio a bit tighter. “It’s nice to meet you, Sister.” 

“Please, have a seat.” Imperator gestured to the chair across from her and held out her hand, a silent request for Hetty’s portfolio.

“I have to admit that I’ve been looking into you already.” Imperator continued to flip through Hetty’s collection. “I found your research into the Salem Witch Trials to be very…interesting.”

Hetty nodded although she was unsure of what her graduate thesis had to do with her ability to design and sew clothes. “Yes, that was more of a pet project for me. I became interested in genealogy when I found out one of my ancestors was possibly convicted and executed for being a witch.”

Now the sister smirked. “Possibly executed or possibly a witch?”

“That’s where things get a little hazy. I’ve found records which indicated she was executed and I’ve found others that made no mention of it.” With a shrug, Hetty chose to continue her train of thought even if it meant losing the position. “Personally, if she was executed, I hope she was a witch and was able to find vengeance.”

“My dear child,” Imperator smiled now. “I think you are going to fit in splendidly here.”

Hetty blinked, attempting to stop her eyes from widening. 

“Now, this is a live-in position,” The Sister continued without missing a beat. “You will be compensated for your work on top of room and board. Any travel fees you may encounter will be covered as well however those would be limited. Any questions?”

With a pause, Hetty then decided to see if she was bluffing. With a smile, she simply shrugged. “When do I start?”

“You can move in as soon as you are ready.” Imperator’s smile broadened now. “Once you are settled, I’ll introduce you to the Cardinal.”

“The Cardinal?”

“Yes.” The Sister tilted her head slightly, wondering if her new charge had been paying attention. “The Emeritus brothers have…retired and the Cardinal, Cardinal Copia will be taking over Clerical duties. I’ve hired you to design the vestments for him and his ghouls that will be used during their rituals.”

“Ghouls?” By now, Hetty felt like she knew less about her new employer than she had going in.

“Surely you must have figured out that we are no ordinary clergy.” Imperator let out a little chuckle. “Everything will make sense in time. For now, let’s take a tour of the abbey.”

They walked through corridors and across courtyards, in and out of the cathedral. Stopped at a set of staircases, Sister Imperator gestured to her left. “The undercroft houses the veneration of relics as well as the common ghouls. The common ghouls perform various tasks and usually keep to themselves. Copia’s personal ghouls are housed closer to his quarters. Either way, you would be well advised to keep your distance from the ghouls.” Imperator glanced over her shoulder as if making sure that the demons were not present. “On their best days, they can be mischievous. Their worst, well, just stay away.”

Hetty cleared her throat. “Forgive me, Sister, but if I am to be making things, articles of clothing for them, how am I supposed to take their measurements and such?”

“The Cardinal.” Imperator pursed her lips as if something was irritating her. “He will always be present when you need to interact with them as he can control them…somewhat.”

Hetty pulled out a notepad to jot a few things down. 

“This way, child.” They walked up the staircase to the left. With no knowledge of the occult, Hetty was wondering if she was the right person for the job or if Imperator still considered her to be the best fit. If Hetty’s suitability was on Imperator’s mind, she kept any hint to the contrary out of her tone. “Here we are.”

After a series of three right turns and two lefts, they stopped at a large wooden door marked 301.

“As you are an assistant to the clergy and not simply congregation, you have an individual suite with your bathroom. All laundry will be tended to by one of the ghouls. Then there are the common areas as well as the dining hall should you wish to socialize with the brothers and sisters of the congregation.” Imperator pulled a key out and unlocked the door before handing it to Hetty. “Now, you are free to be in your living quarters at any time, except when you’re needed of course, but there are waking hours and curfews that must be adhered to. I will have one of the sisters give you more of a tour tomorrow. Arrangements have been made for your belongings to be moved as soon as you sign off and you are welcome to stay here tonight if you wish.”

“Before you go,” Hetty spoke louder to get the sister’s attention. “I wasn’t the initial applicant. The email was sent to me by mistake but it must have been a coincidence. I just thought you should know.”

Hetty held her breath as she waited for the offer to be rescinded but instead, Sister Imperator lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

“There are no coincidences,” Imperator stopped walking long enough to glance over her shoulder, “Henrietta.”

It caught her off guard to be referred to by her full name but she did her best to remain stoic. Waiting until the door had closed, Hetty glanced around and took stock of her new living quarters. Her apartment was larger on the whole but here she did not need to worry about cooking or cleaning. 

The room itself looked ancient, there was a large fireplace on the wall opposite of the four-poster bed and the walls were bare sandstone with various nooks and shelves built-in. The steel paned glass windows looked out on to a vast forest that seemed out of place, much like the abbey itself. 

Hetty wandered around, acquainting herself with her new apartment and made a note of what she wanted to unpack first. She wrote down her room number and set about finding her way around the abbey. Hetty would need to find her way from her apartment to her workspace to the office of this man, Copia. Of course, nothing was labeled.

Using her phone to take pictures of landmarks, Hetty began to wander around the abbey. Those she passed usually offered a nod and a smile making her feel like this was the friendliest satanic church she had ever been to (of course, it was the only one she had been to.)

Walking through the courtyard, she was trying to remember the steps she had taken to get there when the sudden crunch of teeth biting into the flesh of an apple brought her attention to her surroundings.

A man, his age hard to pinpoint, sat on a bench with his ankle resting on the opposite knee and an apple in one hand while the other stretched along the back of the bench. Suddenly, Hetty remembered it had been a while since her last meal.

“You must be new here.” The man spoke between bites. “You’ve got that lost look to you.”

Hetty shrugged. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only if you know what you’re looking for.” He laughed now, offering a brief glimpse of a smile.  
Raising an eyebrow, Hetty tried to get a read on him. He was obviously in a good mood, his large but lean frame was relaxed and his entire stance inviting. Amber eyes glinting every so often in the sunlight, he smiled when he realized that Hetty was essentially sizing him up.

Lifting his hand and smoothing out his jet black hair that was cropped close to his head, the man raised one shoulder. “Can I help you find something?”

“I don’t want to bother you.” Looking back to the direction from which she came, Hetty tried to make sense of where she was. “I was just looking for the dining hall.”

He responded with a broad smile. “’s fine. Come on.”

They walked off in the opposite direction of where Hetty thought she should be going. While there was silence to start, she noticed the man humming and drumming his fingers on his thigh before starting a conversation.

“So,” He walked with an easy gait but Hetty struggled to keep up with his long stride. “Are you a new sibling? Or…?”

Hetty glanced at him, wanting to study him more but also wanting to watch the way they took to the dining hall. “What do you mean by a sibling?”

With a little nod, he acknowledged the question could be confusing to someone new. “Are you a member of the congregation, a sister of sin, or do you have an actual position here?”

“I was hired to design and tailor the vestments.” Feeling her hand brush against his, it almost seemed to tingle in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

“Oooh,” He cooed in a jovial way. “You must be talented then. Here we go.”

He opened one side of a large set of wooden doors with iron fixtures causing Hetty to duck under his arm. 

“The kitchen is in the back and there’s a menu board next to the order line.” He shrugged again. “There’s always fruit set out by the drinks area. I always keep some snacks stashed in my room. They close the kitchen after dinner but my appetite doesn’t always agree with their hours.”

Hetty nodded. “I’ve been looking into how I can set up a place to fix tea in mine.”

“Easy!” He smiled broadly. “Just keep a fire ghoul stashed in your closet.”

“Oh, Hetty!” 

She turned to see Imperator approaching with a man in a black suit and dark circles under his eyes to match. What caught her attention, though, was his left eye and its white iris which almost seemed to glow.

“Hetty, I’d like you to meet the Cardinal.” Sister Imperator put a hand on Hetty’s shoulder and almost shoved her forward.

“Copia, this is Hetty Blakely. I’ve hired her to design the vestments for you and the ghouls.”

The man was younger and smaller in stature than Hetty had anticipated. He clasped two gloved hands in front of him and nodded vigorously.

“Yes, hello, child.” Hetty extended her hand out of habit as the Cardinal grasped her fingers. “So very nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

“I see you found the dining hall.” Imperator forced a smile from behind Copia.

“Yes.” Hetty nodded and turned to gesture to her new friend. “He-”

As she turned, Hetty realized that the man was nowhere to be found.

Hetty turned back to her superiors and smiled, hoping they didn’t acknowledge that little glitch. “It’s nice to meet you, Cardinal.”


	2. Chapter 2

“No, Sister, I am not disagreeing with you.” Copia sighed as he sat on the other side of Imperator’s desk. “I’m just questioning why I was not included in the decision.”

Sister Imperator gave him a look that was just short of a glare. “All you need to know is that she is absolutely the right fit for the church.”

Knowing that the matter was closed, The Cardinal nodded as he stood. “Yes, Sister. Of course.”

Copia made his way back to his office. He was to meet with the new hire in half an hour and he was drawing a blank as to what he wanted for his vestments. Obviously he would stick with the cassock and biretta but he was also given some freedoms as far as additional attire thanks to predecessor’s propensity to push boundaries. Emeritus the Third wore a suit in addition to his robes and put his ghouls in similar suits, freeing them from their cumbersome habits as well.

It had been three weeks since he had officially taken over the church but Copia still felt entirely unprepared to lead his first ritual. Having inherited a few ghouls from III, he still needed to flesh out his band and his decision to add a non-elemental ghoul to the ranks was already being met with scrutiny. Copia knew that once they saw this multitalented ghoul perform, Imperator and Papa Nihil would ultimately agree but until then, he felt an even greater need to prove himself.

A knock at the door brought Copia out of his thoughts. Without wanting to break his train of thought, he simply called out. “It’s open!”

“Sir,” The young woman he was introduced to earlier in the week poked her head in. “Sorry to bother you but we were supposed to meet? I…I can come back if this is a bad time.”

Copia immediately stood to welcome his new underling but stopped short to take in the sight before him. Obviously she would not be required to wear the habit of the siblings but Imperator must have requested that she stay within the same white and black business dress. However, her take on it was much different than Imperator. A black, skin-tight, pencil skirt highlighted a more voluptuous figure than he was anticipating while the white oxford shirt tucked into the high waist of the skirt showed a more professional air to the outfit. What really caught the Cardinal’s attention were the suspenders that brought a menswear turned femme quality to her whole ensemble. Suddenly, he found himself daydreaming about snapping her suspenders and shook his head. “No, no. This is absolutely fine. Forgive me, remind me of your name again?”

“Hetty Blakely. Well, Henrietta technically, but I’ve always been called Hetty.” Once she stepped into his office, she started to relax a bit as Copia seemed as nervous as she did.

The Cardinal added a little nod. “Henrietta is a beautiful name. I must confess that you are here to design something under my direction but I have no direction for you right now.”

“Oh,” Hetty smiled at the thinly veiled compliment. “I can help with that if you’d like. I was looking at some of the previous leaders and had a few ideas.”

He offered a polite smile. “Yes, yes. Ideas are always welcome, let’s see then.”

Sitting down across the desk from him, Hetty pulled out her sketchbook to reveal various sets for Copia and then the ghouls. 

“These are very nice.” He ran a gloved finger down the page before nodding. “A bit more tailored than my predecessor, no?”

Hetty felt a sudden flush come across her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or an observation. How was the Cardinal interpreting her sketches? “Uh, yeah. I thought something a bit more streamlined would be nice.”

After picking out various parts that he liked Hetty pulled together a complete look for the ghouls and several for the Cardinal.

“Ok,” Hetty had scribbled a list of alterations to work on later. “Now, fabrics. What did you have in mind?”

“Something with a bit of a sheen and definitely stretchy.” Copia nodded succinctly. “We need to be able to move freely.”

Hetty raised an eyebrow, her interest in whatever these rituals were had definitely peaked. “Alright. Then there’s the matter of getting everyone’s measurements.”

“Yes, of course. We can do that at your convenience. It might be easier to do them separately, they can get a bit…they tend to act up around new people.” He waved their behavior off as though it was simple bickering but Hetty had heard the other siblings describing the snarling and snapping that went along with their acting up.

“Actually,” Hetty cleared her throat, “I was hoping you would measure them yourself. I try to avoid them whenever possible.”

The Cardinal paused, raising his brow. “Oh really? Why might that be?”

She let out a little snort as she thought the answer would be obvious. “Sister Imperator warned me that they could easily kill me and I simply don’t trust them. I don’t think they like me very much either, I think one of them keeps leaving creepy things outside of my office. There was a bird skeleton yesterday and a continuing collection of stones.”

When Copia laughed, Hetty found herself to be slightly offended. “What? What is so funny?”

“My apologies, Miss Blakely.” He took a breath and composed himself. “Those are simply little gifts from our Water ghoul. He only gives those to ones he likes. And as far as harming you, yes, they _could._ However, they are bound to obey me and they will not. You are entirely safe around them. Between you and me, I think they are fascinated by you.”

As Hetty still looked skeptical, the Cardinal attempted to appease her. “The ghouls, they have the ability to appear human-like so I will have them keep their veils up and wear their masks, ok?”

Hetty pursed her lips but eventually conceded. “Ok. As long as you don’t leave me alone with them.” 

“But of course.” Copia smiled and while Hetty knew it was genuine, he always managed to look pained whenever he did so. “We’ll get started tomorrow then.”

Hetty walked across the courtyard, finally starting to feel somewhat familiar with her surroundings. While she was quickly memorizing the route from her apartment to Copia’s office, she was still figuring out commute times to various other spaces. With nothing else on her schedule for the day, she decided to take advantage of the nice weather and work on revising her sketches in the natural light. Choosing the trunk of a large tree to lean against, Hetty pulled out her pencil case and got started.

“There you are.”

Looking up, Hetty was met with the amber eyes of the stranger from days before. “Here I am. What happened to you?”

“Eh,” He shrugged, sitting down next to Hetty despite the lack of invitation. “I’m not exactly on Sister High Inquisitor’s good side right now so I make myself scarce when she’s around.”

“What did you do?” Hetty laughed slightly, finding it hard to believe that the seemingly kind and generous Imperator that she had interacted with even had a bad side.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, exist? I have a tendency to wreak havoc when I get bored.”

“Well, I might be joining you if she doesn’t approve of these designs.” Hetty tapped her pencil on the open page, only half-joking that she’d like to get back to work.

“Toe that line, kid.” He cracked a smile and gestured towards her sketchbook. “Can I see?”

“These are for the ghouls.” She moved the book closer to him. “I was thinking of having some sort of tonal embroidery on it. I didn’t really like the belt thing that the others had. The white was too strong of a contrast.”

He nodded. “I wasn’t around for those ghouls. These look nice.”

As he turned the page and started leafing through Copia’s sketches, his elbow bumped against hers and Hetty felt that same low current of electricity that she had before. It wasn’t a shock or anything, but it was _something._

“I’m serious, kid. These are really good.” He nudged the notebook back and turned to face her. “What does Copia think?”

“It’s…” Suddenly Hetty found she had a difficult time concentrating. “I gave him a few ideas then he told me what he liked and what he didn’t. This is what we ended up with.”

With a smile, he tilted his chin. “You getting along ok? Not still getting lost?”

“Yes,” Hetty laughed now. “I’ve met a few people but then there’s this guy who I’d like to know but we haven’t really been introduced. He just kinda shows up.”

He flashed a broader smile and Hetty could have sworn his canine teeth were more pronounced than the other day. “Ok, I can take a hint. Who are you exactly, kid?”

“My name is Hetty,” She turned to face him in mock defiance. “That’s my part of the introduction, who are you?”

“It really depends on who you ask.” The man smile turned into a cheeky grin as he turned his body towards hers as well.

Hetty let out an exasperated yet facetious sigh. “I am asking YOU. Who are you?”

“The one who needs to finish taking you on a tour of the abbey.”

“Oh, come on!” Hetty gave his shoulder a little shove. “I’m not going anywhere with you if you don’t tell me your name.”

“Ow!” He fell over now in mock agony. “This? This is what I get?”

With a roll of her eyes, Hetty extended her hand out to help him up. Instead of sitting up, he pulled Hetty against him. “Ok, now we’re even.”

Hetty thought about pinning him to the ground but a group of siblings approached, chatting happily. She immediately moved off and went to straighten her clothes as if they were doing something inappropriate. Well, more inappropriate than the casual flirting.

“Hetty, we’re headed to dinner, want to join us?”

“Actually,” She reached behind her to put her hand on his arm but was met with nothing but air. He had disappeared again.

Keeping her frustration in, she put on a smile and nodded. “Actually, that sounds great.”

After joining them for a movie in the common room, Hetty looked around for Anne, one of the sisters who had apparently been around longer than the others.

“Hey, Anne,” Hetty glanced around to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “There’s this guy. He’s tall and looks decently built. Black hair, it’s short but kinda wavy. Really beautiful amber eyes. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

Anne thought for a bit but looked back at Hetty blankly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. He’s a sibling here?”

“No, I mean…I don’t know. He’s been here at the abbey but I don’t know much about him beyond that.” Hetty shrugged. “I’m just trying to find out who he is, I don’t even know his name.”

Anne smirked. “Is he hot? We’ll find out who he is soon then.”

Hetty just cocked her head to the side. If this guy turned out to be as promising as she thought, she wasn’t willing to share.

After retreating to her apartment, Hetty opened the bottle of wine she was given as a welcoming gift and looked at her sketches again. She hadn’t quite figured out Copia yet. He seemed like a bundle of nerves sometimes and others he could be impossibly smooth but there wasn’t any telling which one she’d meet at any given time.

Hetty sat in the small room off the library, drumming her fingers over her notepad as she awaited the arrival of Copia and his ghouls. She was told to use it as an office but it was hardly larger than a broom closet. 

Finally, there was a small knock at the door. 

Hetty stood to answer it but Copia had already bustled in, stretching his arms out in a grand gesture. “Ta Da!”

“Um,” Hetty attempted not to laugh but couldn’t stifle a giggle in the end. “Hello, Cardinal.”

Standing up straighter, he frowned as that was obviously not the reception he was anticipating. “Oh! Wait just a moment!”

He skittered out of the room and came back with what appeared to be two men, dressed all in black and wearing silver masks that obscured their faces. One was of substantial build while the second was of similar height but with a smaller frame. The Cardinal shuffled them around until they were both standing in front of Hetty, the larger one with his hands clasped being his back and jutting his chest out.

“Aether, Miss Blakely is going to take your measurements for our new vestments. I expect you’ll be cooperative.” Copia gave the larger one a little nudge forward.

After a series of chitters and chirps, it sounded like the ghoul cleared his throat. “Sorry, love. What do you need me to do?”

“Over here, could you stand on this platform?” Aether did as he was told, making polite small talk as Hetty worked her way around him with her tape measure. Hetty felt herself smiling as she realized that it was almost like working with any other human. She needed to remind herself that they were, in fact, demons.

She continued the process with two more ghouls, Rain and Mountain, and then the ghoulettes who complimented Hetty her makeup and nail polish and asked for a few more feminine alterations to her original design.

Hetty copied their names; Aether, Rain, Mountain, Cumulus, and Cirrus into her notebook followed by their measurements. As she counted, Hetty realized she was short by two ghouls. It was then that a commotion in the hallway drew her attention towards the door.

Copia could be seen holding a smaller, hissing, ghoul by the horn on his mask, almost dragging him in.

“This is Dewdrop and he absolutely will cooperate with you.” The Cardinal spoke through gritted teeth. “Isn’t that right, Dew?”

Instead of speaking as the others did, this one only snarled under his breath. Hetty didn’t need to look at the tape measure to realize that he was the smallest of the group but what he lacked in size, he made up for in attitude. 

As soon as she announced to Dewdrop that she was finished, he jumped off the platform and practically stomped his way out of her office.

Hetty remained kneeling on the floor as she tried not to laugh at his tough showing.

“See?” Copia walked back in after making sure Dewdrop didn’t break anything on his way out. “That wasn’t too bad now, was it?”

Hetty smiled as she draped the measuring tape back around her neck and shook her head. “No, you were right. But I only have six here and you said there were seven ghouls.”

“What’s that? Let me see.” Copia stood over Hetty’s shoulder to peek at her notebook, his lips moved as he silently read over the names. Closing her eyes, Hetty inhaled the faint aroma of incense and was startled when he realized his mistake. “Ah! Swiss. Where is he?”

Looking back to him, Hetty gave a little shrug.

A knock on the door frame caused them both to look up. Standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame was the man Hetty had met before.

“Swiss! Where is your mask?” Copia instantly scolded him. “I asked that you all wear your masks for the initial introduction.”

“It’s ok, Cardinal, we’ve met before.” He sauntered over and stood on the platform looking down at Hetty with a wicked grin. “Hello again, my favorite human.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Hetty laughed, more at herself than the situation. “You’re a ghoul? Is that why you wouldn’t tell me your name?”

“Partially.” He shrugged. “Sorry, but I figured if I came up to you and introduced myself as a ghoul I would have scared you off.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.” Hetty closed her eyes briefly and sighed. “Let me get your measurements, Swiss, then we can discuss how you can make it up to me.”

He smiled broadly. “I think I can live with that.”

Copia sat back and watched their interactions with growing interest. Hetty had clearly become more comfortable with the idea of working around the ghouls as she got to know them but it was also evident that she had spent more than just a passing moment with Swiss before now. They already had a playful banter going, now the Cardinal was wondering how he could use that to his advantage.

“I’ll leave you two to it,” Copia stood and waved them off. “Don’t stay out too late now.”

“So, about that tour we discussed?” Swiss smiled back at Hetty, his amber eyes almost glowing.

Cocking her head to the side, Hetty scoffed and pretended like the thought of being with him didn’t make her swoon. “If you insist.”

“Well, off we go then.” He smugly folded his arms across his chest, believing he had bested Hetty.

“Only if you show me what you look like in your true form.” It was Hetty’s turn to smirk.

“All in due time, kid.” Swiss gave a wink as he held out his elbow for Hetty to take. “All in due time.”

Looking up at him, Hetty raised an eyebrow but took his arm nonetheless. “Alright then, where are we going?”

“That depends.” Swiss kept his eyes straight ahead as they walked but Hetty could have sworn that he puffed his chest out just the slightest bit. “Do you want the regular tour? Or, my favorite places tour?”

Looking up at him, she shrugged. “Both?”

With a confident smirk, Swiss gave a slight nod.

Hetty could have thought about where they were going or what hi-jinx this trickster potentially had up his sleeve but instead, all her mind could focus on was how warm his body seemed. She found herself moving closer to him until she was eventually huddled next to him.

“How big is the abbey?” Hetty intentionally kept her eyes forward. There was no way she’d be able to look at him without stopping.

He offered a shrug. “I don’t know for sure. I’m finding new places all the time so I don’t know if it’s just incredibly expansive or if it actually grows.”

“Grows? Like, on its own?” Despite her best efforts, she felt a nervous smile break out across her face.

“Sweetheart, we’re a Satanic church. What did you expect?” Swiss turned to her, raised eyebrow and all, and winked. 

Immediately Hetty felt her breath catch in her throat. She knew all too well this feeling that was creeping in on her and any other time, in any other situation, she’d have no problem going with it. But she needed to keep reminding herself. This is not a man. This is an inhuman demon. You cannot fall in love with a ghoul.

“Ah!” Swiss stopped abruptly, realizing that they had reached their destination. “Here we go!”

Hetty looked around and mused that it seemed like a completely different part of the abbey.

“This…” Swiss pushed oped a set of very large, solid-looking doors. Hetty imagined them to be heavy but it seemed to take little effort on his part. “…is the great hall. Any celebration or feast we have is going to be here. The next one coming up is the Yule feast, I think.”

Suddenly her head seemed to be spinning with all his questions. “So like an actual party?”

“Pretty much.” His smile broadened. “I was a minstrel in Rome for a period, so parties are my specialty. Plus it’s something that all of the ghouls agree on.”

“How old are you?” It took a moment for his entire sentence to sink in. “Does everyone go to these feasts?”

With a laugh, Swiss nodded and acknowledged that he just threw a lot of veiled information at her. “I’m a demon so our age isn’t technically a chronological thing. I haven’t been around as long as some, but I’m older than others. And yes, the ghouls are allowed to participate in festivities as well. All are invited but no one is required to do anything they’re not comfortable with.”

“Hmm.” Hetty frowned as she continued to walk a half step behind him, starting to recognize their surroundings again. “This is close to the Cardinal’s office.”

“Yeah, and our quarters.” He flashed her a quick grin. “We do a movie and game night once a week so I thought you might like to join us, you know, get to know everyone.”

Back in his office, the Cardinal sat at his desk and reviewed his schedule for the next few days. He and Hetty had a standing appointment set up as it seemed she was going to be fulfilling more of a personal assistant role instead of simply dressing him. Copia was not going to complain about that. He found that being in Hetty’s company was not difficult like it could be with others and might even be willing to go as far as to say that he liked her. Maybe.

The sound of the door opening brought him out of his thoughts.

“You asked to see me?” The largest but most amiable of the ghouls stood in the doorway.

“Yes, yes.” Copia stood and clasped his hands together before gesturing to the chair on the opposite side of his desk. “Have a seat. Please.”

Aether did as he was told, scratching his horn out of sheer curiosity.

“I was hoping you could help me with something.” Before Copia continued, he took the lid off a small glass dish and held it out towards the ghoul. Aether took one look at the small discs wrapped in shiny gold foil paper and politely shook his head causing Copia to laugh. “I’m not much on them either but Papa keeps refiling the dish even if I throw them all out. Anyway, have you noticed how our dear Swiss seems to be rather enamored with the new human?”

Suddenly Aether found himself readjusting his nose ring, a tell for when he was feeling reluctant about something. “Suppose I have.”

“Excellent. I was hoping you’d be willing to keep an eye on them for me.” Copia leaned forward ever so slightly in his seat, hoping to not appear too eager.

“Yeah, I dunno bout that.” Aether scathed his horn again. “Swiss is a decent bloke, I don’t like the idea of spying on him.”

The Cardinal shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t ask you to do that. It’s more out of concern for Miss Blakely, that she might bite off more than she can chew, so to speak.”

Aether, looking thoroughly unimpressed raised an eyebrow. “Have you tried talking to her about something other than the church?”

“What?” Copia let out a slight laugh, Aether had flustered him. “No, it’s nothing like that. She’s just very new to our world.”

Aether shrugged. “Right. I won’t run interference then, just makes sure she stays out of trouble.”

Aether wasn’t about to get into it with Copia, a man whom he knew to be beyond complicated. Besides, he had just told Swiss it was ok to invite Hetty over for their movie night.

Swiss looked over at Hetty and smiled. “You’re not nervous, are you?”

“I’m going to be alone with seven demons.” Hetty avoided rolling her eyes but her tone was conveyed just the same. “What possibly could go wrong?”

Draping his arm around her neck, Swiss pulled Hetty closer to him. “As if it wasn’t incredibly obvious, Copia likes you. That alone makes you safe. Plus, I like you too. So there’s that.”

“So there’s that,” Hetty repeated as they continued past the ghoul's quarters and on towards the dining hall.

Hetty followed Swiss to the kitchen as he collected some various bits of food. “Gotta stock up, y’know? Now, back to our place. You want pizza? I’ll make us some pizza.”

Albeit reluctantly, Hetty followed back to the ghoul’s quarters where Swiss immediately got to work. 

“The dough needs some time to rise so I’ll get started on that and then make the sauce.” Swiss turned back to Hetty and smiled. “Then we can hang out for a bit before everyone else gets back in.”

“Do I get to see what you actually look like?” Hetty watched as Swiss put the tomatoes and a handful of various herbs into a blender. “Will you show me?”

He nodded at first, the sound of the blender making it useless to speak. “Of course. As long as you promise not to run away.”

“Why…why would I run away?” Hetty took a step closer to him, hoping to convey that she was starting to trust him.

“Dunno.” He shrugged. “I’ve never really cared if I scared someone before but I think you’re interesting so I don’t want to chase you off.”

“Why am I interesting?” Keeping her eyes on him, Hetty wanted to watch his transformation, if he was going to go through with his promise.

Swiss paused for a moment as if he hadn’t given it a thought before. “You smell different. All humans have a particular smell but you all smell like humans. Except, you don’t. You don’t smell like Copia or Imperator either.”

“Sister Imperator warned me to stay away from the ghouls,” Hetty inched closer. “Do you all socialize with the other siblings?”

With a smirk, Swiss nodded as if he wasn’t surprised by the warning. “Some of the ghouls do but most of Copia’s don’t. Dewdrop will occasionally go after one and make a game out of it but we’re all pretty well bonded to each other.”

“Bonded?”

Swiss wanted to laugh again at how inquisitive Hetty was being. It was either hit or miss with the humans, the whole concept of interacting with a ghoul. “Yeah, I guess it’s kind of akin to having a best mate or something. We’re a pack, but we all have those we get on best with. The ghoulettes stick together, you can usually find Rain around Mountain and Aether is the only one who can keep Dew in line.”

Even though she had heard them many times before, Hetty had to laugh at all the cutesy common names for the ghouls but then she came to a realization. “But what about you then? You mentioned everyone but you.”

“Right,” Swiss shrugged again. “I was the last to be summoned, the others had already bonded by the time I got here. I get along with everyone but I don’t really have someone that I automatically pair off with. Plus the others are true elementals. I am more of an incubus.”

“Is that why you look like a human?” Swiss had started to nuzzle her hand but Hetty now rested it on his cheek, a silent request for him to look at her.

He shrugged. “It’s why I can look like a human. The other ghouls aren’t quite as convincing as I can be.”

“You look pretty damn convincing to me.” Keeping her eyes locked on his, Hetty was hoping Swiss would realize that she was silently pleading to see his real self.

Pressing his lips together, Swiss gave a small smile. “Ok.”

Letting his arms fall to his sides, Swiss looked down at the floor before closing his eyes. At once, his skin began to darken from the olive tone she had known to a dark charcoal grey. The once close-cut fingernails had elongated to sharp points and his nose became broader and more feline-like. His hair remained the same, slightly shaggy and jet back, only now two small yet distinct horns aligned with his temples while elf-like ears peeked out from the sides of his head.

Swiss opened his eyes and shifted uncomfortably for a moment. “Sorry, these pants aren’t the greatest for my tail.”

“You have a tail?” Hetty wasn’t able to hide her astonishment.

With a grin, including a set of pointed teeth and elongated canines, Swiss nodded as the appendage peaked out from behind him, flicking back and forth as though waving ‘hello.’

He didn’t look radically different, the majority of his features were still recognizable, but his eyes remained unchanged and that brought a great deal of comfort to Hetty. Taking a step forward, she reached out and placed her hand on his cheek. “You’re a very handsome ghoul.”

“Why thank you, my dear.” Swiss practically purred now as he allowed Hetty to stroke one of his horns.

Hetty took a step back to continue taking in his new form. “Do the others look like you?”

“More or less.” He leaned into her hand. “Like humans, we all have the same basic characteristics but different variations.”

“And I get to meet them sans masks also?” Hetty added a slight head tilt to her smirk.

Opening one eye, Swiss playfully looked down his nose at her. “What, am I not enough?”

“I have a feeling you’ll be more than enough.” Hetty made sure to hold his gaze. “Just curious, that’s all.”


	4. Chapter 4

Hetty soon found herself holding her breath as four additional ghouls and two ghoulettes trickled into their common room. After seeing Swiss in his true form, she wasn’t surprised at her ability to instantly identify them based on their physiques. 

They ate and played a couple of different board games before settling in for a few movies. By the end, Hetty felt entirely at ease around them, even after Dewdrop licked her face from her jaw to her temple, proclaiming her to be “not bad for a human.” Once it was noted that Rain had fallen asleep, sprawled across Cirrus and Cumulus, they decided to call it a night. Swiss had left with Hetty under the guise of helping her back to her apartment but it was evident that he simply wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Hetty turned back to Swiss as they both sat back down on the sofa. “The Cardinal told me to remember that you all are ghouls. What did he mean by that?”

Swiss tilted his head slightly before laughing. “Copia can be cryptic sometimes. I guess he was trying to warn you about the heat cycles.”

“Um, what?” Hetty raised an eyebrow, a trace of humor in her tone, but concerned nonetheless.

With a slight nod, Swiss laughed. “We go through heat cycles. Couple times a year, basically all we want to do is mate for a week. It’s, um, probably not a good idea for humans to be around during that.”

When Hetty grimaced, Swiss offered a smile and nodded. “Would it help if I said you weren’t exactly human yourself?”

“Um, excuse me,” Hetty laughed as she ruffled his hair. “I think I would know if I was some sort of demon.”

He winked as he returned the favor. “I’m not saying you’re a demon, just that you’re not entirely human. I haven’t figured out what…yet.”

Hetty raised an eyebrow and looked entirely unimpressed. “Well be sure to clue me in once you figure it out.”

They settled in for another movie, Hetty’s eyelids growing heavier when Hetty heard what almost seemed like a purr. As Swiss rested his head on her shoulder, he purred louder.

“What are you doing?” Hetty heard herself let out a sigh as the ghoul continued to nuzzle her neck.

Swiss grinned a toothy smile in response. “I’m putting my scent on you. Now anyone that gets close will know that you’ve been around me and hopefully back off.”

“Hopefully?” Hetty couldn’t help but laugh as she rested her hand on the back of his neck.

Resting his head on her shoulder he smiled again as he looked up to her. “That’s mainly up to you. They’ll leave you alone unless you pursue them.”

“Hmm.” Hetty felt her eyes closing as a lull encroached upon her. “You should probably get back to your room. Imperator would kill me if she found you here.”

Instead of a response, Swiss simply purred again.

“Then again,” She reached out and stroked his ear. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Are you too comfortable to move?”

“Mmmm. Definitely.” Swiss draped his arm across Hetty’s hips until he was snuggling her like a body pillow. “Warm. I’ll stay like this, thanks.”

Before long, both were fast asleep. 

Swiss didn’t need much in the way of sleep and was wide awake again within two hours. He carefully picked Hetty up and moved her to her bed before he set about roaming the abbey, looking for something to get into.

When Hetty woke the next morning, not a trace of the previous night was to be found. Not even Swiss. With a trace of a frown on her lips, Hetty washed up and dressed before deciding to head to the dining hall for breakfast. Even if the coffee was bad, it was still coffee and she didn’t have what she needed to make her own right now.

Settling for some toast with her coffee, Hetty found a deserted table and parked herself there hoping to eat in peace. After a few moments, some commotion on the other side of the hall caught her attention and she looked up to see Sister Marie laughing loudly as Swiss sprawled across the table. Hetty watched for a few more minutes, enough to see Swiss juggling some apples and generally just flirting with the crowd of siblings that had gathered. With a bit of a snort, Hetty just shook her head at herself. She wasn’t sure why she thought that this enigmatic creature would be interested in her but as usual, she was reading too much into someone simply being nice to her.

With a sigh, Hetty looked down at the table and scratched the bridge of her nose with her finger. She nudged her plate forward, having lost her appetite, and contemplated leaving the dining hall right then. The only hang up was she would need to walk past the puddle of sisters that had now melted at the feet of Swiss.

“I will not tell you to smile,” a familiar voice broke her train of thought. “I know that it very annoying, but do you have to scowl? It pains me to see you upset, Miss Blakely.”

Looking over her shoulder, Hetty saw the Cardinal had approached her. For the first time, his singular white iris caught her off guard and she needed to make herself look away. “May I join you?”

“Why? Is the clerical table full?” Hetty felt slightly guilty for using a sharper tone with the Cardinal, but she was in no mood for pity or sympathy.

He continued to stand there and bowed his head slightly. “Well…no…but I find you to be better company. I’ll be on my way-”

“No, Cardinal.” Hetty offered a complacent smile this time. “It’s fine. Sit. Please.”

To her surprise, Copia sat down beside Hetty, not across from her as she anticipated. Truth be told, this was easier as she wouldn’t need to look at him if she didn’t want to. There was another uproar from the opposite corner and Hetty rolled her eyes before she caught herself.

“Ah.” Copia nodded now. “I see you have discovered that our Swiss enjoys the company of many.”

Hetty scoffed again. “Kinda wished I would have known that before basically throwing myself at him and letting him spend the night.”

“Eh,” Twisting his mouth into a grimace, Copia cocked his head to the side. “Even knowing that you probably could have not stopped yourself.”

She felt her scowl deepen. “Oh really?”

“Being the type of ghoul that the is, he…” With his elbows propped on the table, the Cardinal rolled his wrists as if indicating that he was having trouble finding the right words. “He can be very compelling. Not many can resist him if he wishes to have you.”

Hetty stood, swinging her leg over the bench. “Well, it’s been lovely chatting with you Cardinal, but I have a lot of work that needs to be finished.”

Frowning, Copia was bewildered by her sudden cold shoulder. “Farewell Miss Blakely! Until our afternoon appointment!”

Again, Hetty rolled her eyes. She practically threw her dished in the return window and walked with a blistering pace past the crowded table.

“Hey, Kid!” As soon as Swiss caught sight of Hetty, he leaped up and pushed his way through his audience but by the time his path was clear, she had vanished.

Pretending not to hear Swiss calling to her, Hetty kept on until she found herself in the western courtyard. Immediately, she was happy that she was wearing pants and flats instead of a skirt and heels. Walking down the two stone steps that served as a border between the courtyard and the unstructured parts of the grounds. Imperator had alluded to this area in her first week and Swiss showed her Mountain’s garden that he tended but Hetty hadn’t ventured out into the woods yet. 

As she approached, Hetty was able to pick out a narrow pathway. The rest of the forest seemed to be a combination of dense ground cover smattered with trees of all sizes. The canopy, while full, let just enough light filter through. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity to have some time to herself to clear her head.

Once the sun had started to set, Hetty’s mind shifted from trying to find a way out to talk herself out of a panic attack. She felt incredibly foolish now, going out into the woods by herself but it had seemed so innocuous at the time. She wasn’t quite sure what made this time so different, but it seemed like she had gotten turned around almost from the start. 

Leaning against the trunk of a large tree, Hetty sunk down to the ground and pulled her knees tight against her chest. Maybe it would be better to wait this out until morning. Surely she’d be better able to get her bearings in the daylight.

When Hetty hadn’t shown up for their standing appointment, Copia thought that it was possible she was still upset with him. He’d give her some time to cool off before setting off in search of her. 

A few hours later, he circled the library and a few of the surrounding corridors to no avail. Defeated, he resigned himself to finding a seat at the clergy’s table in the dining hall. After one of the kitchen ghouls brought him a plate of carbonara, Copia kept one eye on his plate while scanning the room with the other, lest Hetty should decide to grace the congregation with her presence for dinner. 

By now, Copia had spent enough time around his ghouls to tell them apart even with their masks on. He called out to Swiss as he approached the dinner queue. “Ghoul!”

Shaking his head, Swiss took his time as he approached the clergy’s table. “Yeah?”

“Have you seen Miss Blakely by chance?” He fidgeted with the plague doctor ring that adorned his finger, the polished metal gliding smoothly over his ever-present leather gloves. “She did not attend our usual appointment and I do believe at least one of us has offended her.”

Swiss folded his arms across his chest before letting them fall back to his sides. “You haven’t seen her since she left breakfast?”

“Uh…no.” When Swiss put it that way, Copia was wondering if he should have acted sooner.

He placed a hand on the back of his head and gave it a little rub, jarring the mask slightly. “Yeah, ok. I’ll get everyone together and we’ll look around. I don’t think she’s left the grounds, hopefully she just wanted some space and isn’t lost or anything.”

“Yes,” He nodded. “Good, very good.”

It surprised Copia to see that it was Dewdrop coordinating the efforts to find Hetty. Without hesitation, he paired everyone off and gave them each a section of the abbey to scour. 

“Masks off, we all know we can track better without those stupid things on.” Dewdrop seemed to relish removing his. “Mount, Swiss and Roo, you guys take the outside. Ladies, take the human common spaces. Me and Aeth will take the catacombs since it’s raining.” 

Swiss let out a little snort at the thought of Dewdrop refusing to get wet. 

Dewdrop immediately glared at him but didn’t stray from his train of thought. “Swiss marked her so we’re looking for that weird scent of hers mixed with him.”

Copia cleared his throat. “Where should I go to look?”

“Stay here, Rat Man.” Dew did nothing to hide that he was enjoying giving Copia orders. “She might come back.”

The Cardinal frowned as he watched the pack of ghouls disperse in all directions. He had intended to spend the evening preparing for the Yule feast but now found he couldn’t focus on any particular passage for longer than a few moments. He paced his office, rearranged the books in his chamber, and stalked the corridors before repeating the process.

After what seemed like an eternity, all seven had returned to his office, their sense of urgency from before had vanished. Dewdrop led the way, puffing his chest out proudly as if he had found her single-handedly, but it was Swiss, dripping wet and flanked by an equally soaked Mountain and Rain, who carried Hetty into his office.

At first glance, Copia wasn’t sure if she was still alive, her body hung limply in his arms. Copia approached Swiss and removed a stray lock of hair that was plastered on Hetty’s forehead. “Oh, Little One, what are we going to do with you?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently I've forgotten how to update! Sorry for the delay and thanks for hanging in there.

Hetty squeezed her eyes tight before languidly blinking. She was in bed, that much she could tell, but who the bed belonged to was another matter. Closing her eyes again, she focused on the sounds she could hear; a periodic pop and crackle of a fire, the soft scratch of a pen on parchment, an occasional clink of a glass being placed on wood. It was the gentle humming that started to put her mind at ease. Finally, Hetty opened her eyes and sat up.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

She turned around to see the Cardinal sitting at his desk, suit jacket draped over the chair behind him. “Awake? How long have I been asleep?”

“Well,” He put his pen down and stood, stretching his back slightly before he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. His bed. “The ghouls found you about four hours ago. You were soaked to the bone, curled up under one of the older trees, and shivering. They brought you to me and after getting you into something drier, I thought the best thing to do would be to let you sleep it off in a warm and comfortable place. Our dear Rainy gave you his favorite blanket as well.”

Hetty let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll have to thank him for that.”

“Tell me, if you will, what were you doing in the forest?” Although he was sitting on the bed, Copia made sure to keep his distance.

“I was angry.” Hetty pressed her teeth into her lower lip. “I felt ridiculous and I just didn’t want to be around anyone. I like to go around the grounds and just think, normally I can find my way about just fine. I have no idea how I got so lost.”

“Sometimes the forest can change itself. It’s a living entity that also feeds off the energy put off by its inhabitants.” He gave a little shrug. “May I ask what made you so angry?”

Hetty let out a little snort. She was pretty sure he knew but was fishing at this point. “You…Swiss.”

“Swiss is an incubus, you are aware of that. Yet, you get mad that you are enticed by him?” The Cardinal let out a chuckle. “My dear, that is what he is supposed to do. And you are upset with me because I have pointed out the obvious?”

“You didn’t need to point it out. I am well aware that I’ve been making a fool of myself.” Hetty’s frown increased as she continued to take stock of her current predicament.

Copia laughed again. “Miss Blakely, you do not give yourself enough credit. Anyone who has spent time around the ghouls knows that they each have a particular scent. My dear, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, you reek of Swiss. I have never known him to mark another human. He does not even mark his fellow ghouls that he mates with. Once he brought you here I could not get him to leave.”

Hetty followed where the Cardinal had gestured. On the rug in front of the fireplace, Swiss was curled on his side, sound asleep.

“I know you are typically very focused on your work,” He stood now and stretched his back again, “But surely you’ve noticed that he does not like to leave the two of us alone for very long.”

She furrowed her brow and looked back at him. “Why…what does he think…”

“Ghouls are very perceptive creatures.” Copia shrugged. “Much more perceptive than us humans.”

Hetty’s eyes fell back on Swiss, who now was trilling in his sleep. Suddenly it clicked in that she was in Copia’s bed and probably preventing him from sleeping there himself. 

“Here,” She pulled the duvet back and went to stand. “I’ll be on my way now so you can get some sleep.”

“No. No, Little One.” He shook his head now. “Stay. You are still exhausted. You need to sleep much more than I do right now.” 

Hetty frowned but laid back down. “Do you not want to sleep?”

“I do.” He cleared his throat as he moved back to his desk. “Unfortunately I have a sermon I need to finish and if I laid down then neither of us would be sleeping and I would not be getting much done in the way of work.”

She couldn’t tell if he intended it to be a double entendre. In fact, that was the root of her predicament it seemed, she never knew what his intentions were. Hetty felt like there was something else there besides him being her boss but it was only an inkling. Anytime she felt like he was going to make a move or even mention something he stepped back and became more distant.

A rustling from the rug caught her attention. Hetty turned just in time to see Swiss roll over on his back and stretch his arms and legs straight up in the air before bringing his arms closer to his body and sitting up. “Hm,” He laughed, presumably at himself, and let out a yawn. “I should be good for a couple of days after that nap. C’mon, kid. Let’s go back to your place.”

Hetty frowned and shook her head. “I don’t feel like leaving, I want to stay here.”

“Not even for me?” Swiss stood now and stretched again before sauntering over to the bed.

Laying back down, Hetty pulled the duvet up to her chin. “I really just want to go back to sleep.”

He paused for a minute but eventually shrugged. “Suit yourself then.”

Hetty waited until she heard the lock on the door catch before she sat back up. She heard Copia let out a small chuckle. “What?”

Without looking up from his parchment, he simply shrugged. “I do believe you have hurt our ghoul’s feelings.”

“Bold of you to assume that he has feelings.” Hetty shot back but instantly regretted her tone for the sake of Swiss and Copia. 

He nodded and moved his eyes to hers. That damn white eye. “He does, they all do. Swiss in particular does his best to hide it though. Give him a swat on the nose for hurting your feelings and all is well.” 

Once the Cardinal had turned his attention back to his work, Hetty took the chance to really study him. On his own, he had this ability to be intense and enigmatic but given the opportunity he would overthink something in an instant and become a bumbling mess. What she wanted to do more than anything was to just hug him and tell him everything was fine. How he would react was anyone’s guess but Hetty knew that if there was going to be anything developing between them, she would need to make the first move.

“Are you enjoying watching me work, Miss Blakely?” There was a definite touch of humor in his tone.

Hetty couldn’t help but laugh. “I am actually, you look very intense right now.”

Looking back up at her, Copia actually smirked this time. “Glad I can provide some entertainment for you.”

“Do you think the kitchen is still open?” Hetty had swung her legs over the side of the bed again and was now watching her feet dangle, wiggling her toes and rolling her ankle around. “I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.”

The Cardinal stood and stretched again before walking over to the wardrobe and pulling out a robe. He held out, a silent indication for Hetty to come put it on. “There will not be anyone in the kitchen but we can certainly get you something to eat.”

“Oh, it’s ok, you don’t have to come with me.” Hetty pulled the robe tight before tying the belt. In all honesty, she wanted him to go with her but was trying not to be overly needy.

When he let out a little chuckle, Hetty frowned. “What?”

“I want to assure you that I could use a break as well, but even if I did not wish to go, I could not in good conscience send you out into the corridors alone at this hour.” He held open the door between his office and his private quarters, softly closing it behind Hetty.

Before they left his office, Copia took a lantern with them. As they stepped out into the pitch black, Hetty felt herself move closer to the Cardinal.

“You are completely safe.” The Cardinal seemed to stand up taller. “It is simply difficult to navigate at night if you are not completely familiar with your surroundings.” 

As if on cue, a ghoul darted out from behind a corner and hissed as it crossed their path. The ghoul returned to the darkness as quickly as it had appeared but Hetty was obviously startled by it, gasping as she latched on to the Cardinal’s arm.

“No need to worry,” Copia placed an uncharacteristically bare hand over hers for a moment before removing it again. “When ghouls are first summoned, they can be quite feral. They usually roam when the rest of the congregation is asleep until they get used to people.”

Hetty nodded before realizing that the Cardinal probably couldn’t see her. “Right, It was just a surprise.”

“Of course, Miss Blakely.” Copia tried his hardest to not let the fact that Hetty was holding on to his arm rattle him. In reality, he was probably as startled as she was. 

When they made it to the kitchen, Copia turned on the light, and Hetty finally let go of his arm. Looking around, it was almost as if he was waiting for something to spark an idea. They walked a bit farther in when he saw the basket of potatoes in the pantry. “How do you feel about gnocchi?”

Hetty tilted her head to the side and smirked. “I’ve never had it before.”

“Ah, are you in for a treat!” The Cardinal brushed his hands together before rolling up his sleeves. “But we need to make it first.”

Copia directed Hetty to gather the tools needed while he put a large pot of water on to boil. “We boil the potatoes then turn them into little dumplings.”

Hetty mimicked the Cardinal’s movements, peeling the potatoes once they were just cool to the touch and then mashing them with a fork. Copia added the egg and flour, transforming the mixture into a doughy matter. After turning it out onto the counter, he took a knife and divided the dough into four more manageable sections. Placing tow in front of Hetty, he moved the other two closer to himself.

“Hand, please.” Copia nudged Hetty to hold out her hands before tapping a small amount of flour off the spoon and into her waiting hands. He repeated the process with himself. “Ok. We take the dough and roll in until it looks like a snake.”

Glancing over at him, Hetty did the same with her two portions. He smiled, almost proudly. “Nice. Very nice. Now we cut and make smaller pieces, then comes the fun part. Hand me the fork, please.”

“Your fork, sir.” Hetty added a playful bow as she placed the fork in his hand.

Copia smiled again, mainly at the ease in which they were now interacting. “Thank you, m’lady.”

Holding up one finger, the Cardinal took a small piece of the dough and gently rolled it along the fork so that the tine left delicate little ridges. “Okie Dokie?”

Hetty giggled as she grabbed her own fork and did the same. Soon there was a small pile of little dumplings ready to be boiled.

“They’re kinda cute in their own little way.” Stepping back to admire their work, Hetty brushed against him in the process and realized that she could have been saying the same thing about him.

She hadn’t given it a thought until just then, but Hetty realized that she did find him attractive. Or, at least, she found herself attracted to him. There were times where she could have convinced herself that Copia found her attractive as well but Hetty was left with the feeling that the Cardinal would not act on that.

“Do you know how to make a simple pesto?”

Copia’s voice brought Hetty’s mind back to the present. “I do!” She replied enthusiastically, proud that she’d be able to show off a small culinary skill to him.

Within moments, Hetty was using a mortar and pestle to crush the basil and pine nuts while Copia cooked the gnocchi in small batches. As the batches were finished, Copia moved them towards Hetty who added them to a larger bowl and tossed them with the pesto. Once everything was finished, the Cardinal gathered a couple of plates and silverware.

“I, uh,” He hesitated as he held what looked to be a picnic basket in his hands. “I thought we could take this back to my office. I have a Sauvignon Blanc that would go very nicely with our meal. If that is ok with you, yes?”

Hetty nodded. “Yes, Cardinal, that sounds lovely.” 

The pair ended up in his quarters, sitting at a small circular table with two chairs. Rather than turn the ceiling light on, Copia opted to move one of the candelabras from his office and they ate by candlelight.

“Verdict?” Copia looked up to Hetty who was now taking a sip of the wine.

She smiled as she finished her swallow. “It’s delicious, Cardinal. Thank you for this.”

“Of course, Miss Blakely.” It was his turn to take a drink. “You have been invaluable in helping me wade through these enormous piles of work, you were due a thank you.”

Hetty couldn’t help but think that there were other ways he could show his appreciation. “You can call me Hetty, you know. You don’t always need to be so formal.”

“Well, Henrietta, only if you are willing to be less formal with me in return.” He winked and caught her by surprise. “You have only addressed me as Cardinal from the first time we were introduced.”

She raised her shoulders. “That’s your title, correct?”

“Yes, but it is not my name.” He put an emphasis on the last part. “If you insist I call you by your name, I will insist you do the same for me.”

Leaning forward, Hetty smiled at him. “So you want me to call you Copia then?”

“Little one, my given name is Vincenzo.” Copia let out a contented sigh. “My wife always called me Enzo.”

Hetty smiled again but this time it was to mask her shock at hearing the word wife on his lips. “Ok, then. I hate to leave on that note but it is very late and I need to start fitting the ghouls for their suits tomorrow.”

“Of course Miss-” He caught himself and held up a finger as he smiled. “Of course, Henrietta.”

The Cardinal walked Hetty back to her apartment, quietly humming as they went along. Stopping in front of her door, he turned to face Hetty, taking her hands in his. “Until tomorrow, my dear. And please, no more forest trips, yes?”

“Yes.” Hetty gave a quick nod as Copia lifted her hands up and kissed the backs of them, an act that caused her breath to catch in her throat.


	6. Chapter 6

That night, Copia was still on her mind when she went to bed. Even in her dreams, he was still there. Hetty lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering how she was going to get any sleep when she kept waking up when her desire for the Cardinal seemed to be growing by the minute. She briefly, very briefly, entertained the idea of returning to his chambers but it was late and she wasn’t even sure if he would be receptive to the idea. Little did she know that Copia was in his room, laying in bed and thinking of her as he gripped himself tightly, semen coating his belly.

The Cardinal let his heart rate return to normal, the slight sheen of sweat that covered his skin already starting to evaporate. He kicked his underwear off the rest of the way and walked to the bathroom. As he cleaned himself up with a washcloth, Copia had to laugh at himself. He wasn’t sure he would ever want another woman the way he had wanted his wife. Yet now even the thought of Hetty writhing underneath him made him hard. What he wouldn’t have given for any form of contact, but the Cardinal wasn’t sure if that would be crossing the line with Hetty, their relationship hadn’t quite gone that far yet. The last thing that he wanted to do was to offend her so he had to settle to masturbating to the idea of what their first time together might be like.

Once Copia dragged himself out of bed, he looked at his diary and groaned when he saw the word confessional scrawled across a two hour time block. Glancing at the pocket watch on his bedside table, he was already late and would need to forego at least part of his morning routine. Once he opened the door, he had to physically stop himself from running directly into Sister Imperator.

“Cardinal.” She dressed him cooly while he attempted to gain his composure. “Late night?”

He straightened himself and stood up taller. “Yes, well…sermons and whatnot.”

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with the mess you left in the kitchen.” Imperator looked down her nose at him. “I would hope that you’ve at least made some headway in your endeavor?”

Clearing his throat, Copia nodded. “It’s fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to report to the confessional.”

“I am aware of that.” Her gaze shifted to more of a glare. “However, you are aware that we are working within a limited time frame, correct?” 

“How exactly do you intend for me to move quicker? I am very familiar with your preference of coercion but I refuse-”

“Tread lightly, Cardinal.” Imperator intentionally stepped out of his path. “It would be a shame if your lack of compliance put you in the same position as your predecessors.”

Copia walked forward but couldn’t resist glancing back over his shoulder. He shook his head free of thought and quickened his pace. Sitting in the confessional waiting for siblings to drop in was not his ideal start to the morning but he’d do anything to avoid another confrontation with the Abbess.

Hetty sat on the bench in the dining hall, zoning out occasionally as she finished her croissant. Finally, she wrapped up the remaining half and made her way to her office. She made it through her first round of initial fittings but found Mountain’s to be extra difficult because he stood there like a tree. Hetty always enjoyed her time spent with Aether, it was usually filled with pleasant conversation and he had a surprisingly vast supply of arbitrary facts. Dew and Rain chatted nonstop but at least it kept her awake. When she was originally arranging their fitting schedule, she had purposely put Swiss last so they would have extra time together. After last night, Hetty was starting to think that wasn’t the best idea.

She paused to jot down a few notes on Rain’s measurements card when she heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, she saw Swiss standing in the doorway holding a vibrant purple plant.

“So I figured out what I did wrong.” Swiss sheepishly held the plant out in front of him. As soon as she took a step closer, Hetty could tell it was lavender. “I left. After you fell asleep, I left.”

With a forgiving smile, Hetty took the plant from Swiss before stepping closer again to kiss his cheek. “Thank you. But I overreacted. You have every right to talk to or flirt with whoever you want.”

“I don’t sleep a lot so I thought that leaving would be better than lurking around your bedroom.” He gave her a gentle pat on the head. “And the sisters, it’s more of an entertainment thing for me. The plant was Mountain’s idea. I thought flowers first but he said you’d appreciate that more.”

Hetty smiled again. “He was right. Now, I do have a job to do.”

“Right!” Swiss emphatically began stripping off his clothing once he saw Hetty hold up a loosely stitched pair of trousers. 

Covering her mouth, Hetty couldn’t stop herself from laughing as she handed them over. “I do have a curtain set up for modesty, you know.”

“What’s a little nudity between friends?” His tail twitched excitedly as he shimmied into the fit sample. “Oh, shit, that doesn’t weird you out, does it?”

Still laughing, Hetty shook her head. “No, Swiss, you’re fine.”

Swiss smiled broadly as Hetty began fitting the waist. “So, did you guys do it last night?”

“Do what?” Her response was a bit absent-minded until she realized what he was actually asking. “Oh! No, no…he’s my boss.”

Now he shrugged. “That’s no reason not to. Look, he likes you and you get all quiet around him so don’t act like you’re not into him too.”

“We had dinner.” Hetty brushed him off. “That’s all.”

Swiss scoffed when Hetty focused all of her attention on the inseam. Of course, he knew she needed to get this fitting finished, but it was next to impossible for him to be still for any length of time. When he started playing with Hetty’s hair, gently twisting a few locks between his fingers, it made the whole experience a bit more tolerable.

Hetty spoke, though her words were somewhat mumbled with straight pins pressed between her lips. “You don’t have to be completely silent, you know.”

“If…wait, sorry, when you and Copia do fuck, can I watch?” He offered his wolfish grin again, only partially joking. 

After a roll of her eyes, Hetty continued pinning the cuff. “That’s a very big if. Any time it seems like he might come close to making a move, he immediately backs off. Last night I thought he was flirting with me but then he completely shut me down by mentioning his wife.”

“See!” Swiss enthusiastically nudged her shoulder. “He does like you!”

Hetty sat back on her heels and just looked up at him. “How the fuck did you come to that conclusion?”

Swiss gestured towards Hetty. “I like you in this position. You sure I can’t convince you to attend to something else while you’re down there?”

“Listen,” Hetty shot him a playful glare. “If you were human, I’d be all over that. The demon thing is a no go for me, babe. And you didn’t answer my question.”

“A ghoul can dream, right?” He feigned a sigh while acknowledging that Hetty was starting to lose her patience with him. “So Copia was married and had a young son before he joined the church. When he lost both of them to the plague, the First recruited him and he’s been here ever since. He never speaks of them so if he’s told you that much then he probably trusts you more than most.”

“Oh.” Was all Hetty had to offer in response. Here was Swiss, being playful and lighthearted and then their banter turned to a more serious note. She shifted so that she was sitting on the floor, crossing her legs and letting her hands rest in her lap.

Swiss looked at Hetty then shifted his gaze towards his legs then back to her. “So…?”

“Sorry,” Hetty smiled apologetically. “You can take them off now, we’re all done.”

After handing the fit sample back to her, Swiss gave her a gentle but to the head with his horn. “You need to make the first move with him. Don’t be shy.”

Copia sat in the confessional for what seemed like ages, listening to anonymous siblings seeking validation for their sins. Glancing at his watch, he noticed he only had a few more minutes to go when he heard the door slide open again.

“Forgive me, Cardinal, for I have not sinned.”

Sitting up straighter, Copia cleared his throat. “I, um, I am not sure if you are aware, but that isn’t exactly how this process works.”

“I have had lustful, lecherous thoughts,” she continued despite Copia’s mild protest, “and I have not acted on them.”

“Well, Sister, find the object of your desire and invite them to join you.” He attempted to hide the boredom from his voice but did not succeed.

There was a slight laugh. “That is exactly what I am doing, Cardinal.”

Suddenly he was aware of the sister disrobing. Soon, it seemed the only thing she was wearing was her veil. “Sister, I am not an appropriate object of your desire. I would suggest you find another sibling or a ghoul to fulfill your needs.”

“But Cardinal, it is only you that I want.” Her voice teetered on pleading and gave him a slight pang of guilt.

He sighed as he kept his eyes straight ahead. “Sister, my predecessor may have freely enjoyed the company of his congregation but that is not something I choose to partake in. I am sorry to disappoint.”

Sitting in silence, he waited for a few more moments once the sister finally left before making his own exit. When he returned, the Cardinal found Hetty in his office, sitting in his desk chair.

“Hey,” She smiled brightly in greeting. “I’ve been organizing your paperwork. I’m not sure if you were aware of it but they make these things called folders.”

Copia laughed and only shook his head. “Yes, I am familiar with folders, Miss Blakely. I simply have not had time to tidy up. Thank you.”

“Of course. Although, it does kinda ruin the aesthetic of sweeping everything off the desk and having your way with me on top of it.” Hetty’s deadpan delivery gave no hint of if she was actually joking.

Mimicking her demeanor, the Cardinal nodded. “My dear, I would need to grapple with one very territorial ghoul before I have my way with you.”

“I think he’d be ok with it as long as we let him watch.” Hetty turned her attention back to the papers she was sorting, unsure if she’d be able to keep up with her facade of nonchalance.

Copia placed one gloved finger up to his chin as if in contemplation. “Our ghoul has a voyeur kink, then. Interesting. I take it the two of you have kissed and made up?”

“No kissing, but yes, we both apologized to each other and I think we have a better understanding of our friendship.” Hetty smiled, recalling their most recent interaction. “He brought me lavender, it was sweet. My mother always gave me lavender and sage.”

Copia gave a slight nod. “I cannot speak for all of the abbey’s ghouls, but my ghouls are very loyal and I consider myself lucky to have them in my corner.”

Hetty smiled again in return and decided to move on with the conversation. There would be more time for flirting later. “How has your day been so far?”

“Tedious.” He practically grumbled in response. “I was assigned to confession and sometimes it is simply mind numbing. A sister stripped her habit off and propositioned me today and even that wasn’t interesting.”

“Oh,” Attempting to hide her response, Hetty focused on putting his most recent sermon notes in order. “I’m in your way, aren’t I?”

He sat on the edge of his desk. “Not at all. I was just hoping you’d be will to take a break and join me for lunch.”

It might not have been Copia getting on his knees and professing his undying love for Hetty, but it was more direct than he had been in the past. More and more, Copia was inviting Hetty to spend time with him in ways other than work. Her self doubt was still finding little niggly ways to reappear but the Cardinal’s increasing presence was starting to ease her mind.

Suddenly, Swiss’s advice to make the first move entered her mind. “I’d love that.”

Hetty stood and placed her hands on his knees, gently inserting herself in between them. “But I was hoping there was something we could take care of before we get to that.”

Copia’s mouth went dry causing him to swallow hard as he attempted to reply. “Wha…what might that be?”

Taking his hands, Hetty encouraged him to stand. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his clavicle. Pausing for a moment, she was attempting to gauge his response, waiting to see if he was going to stop her, while simultaneously gathering her own courage. Taking a step back, she looked him square in his eyes, the singular white one seeming to glow, while she sunk down to her knees, sitting back on her heels. Hetty rested her head against his thigh while she slowly trailed her hand up along his other leg, pausing to trace the now visible outline of his semi. Hetty glanced back up at Copia as if waiting for permission, he remained silent but gave a slight smile while brushing her hair away from her face.

Hetty stood back up on her knees while she unbuttoned his pants and lowered them just enough to pull his cock out. She quickly pumped her hand up and down his shaft, gliding her thumb over the small bead of precum that leaked out, finally taking all of him in her mouth once he was fully hard. Copia struggled between wanting to watch Hetty and closing his eyes, lost in the sensation of her warm, slick mouth enveloping him. It had been a long time since he had been attended to by someone that he had an actual connection with and he found himself gripping the edge of his desk tightly to avoid the urge to grab her by the back of her head and face fuck her. Hopefully, that would come soon enough.

The Cardinal felt an all too familiar clenching in the pit of his stomach and tried to push Hetty away. “Henrietta, I’m..I’m going to…”

Instead, Hetty pulled herself closer, humming to herself. She cupped his balls, lightly pressing her index finger into the sensitive section of skin right behind them. Closing her eyes, she surpassed the urge to gag as she felt a spurt of semen hit the back of her throat, pulling away once she had successfully swallowed all he had to offer. A thick trail of saliva still connected the two as Hetty returned her tongue to the now hypersensitive glans. 

Copia moaned as he struggled to support himself on the edge of the desk. “Lucifer, that was…where did you learn to do that?”

Hetty instantly smiled at the praise. She was no virgin, but it wasn’t as though she was incredibly experienced so to hear that her efforts were appreciated. She simply smiled back as she assisted him in putting himself away. Suddenly, Hetty felt the urge to be even closer to him. Leaning in, she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed in his scent of fresh parchment and incense. When Hetty felt one arm come to rest at her waist while the hand of the other rested against the back of her head, she let out a sigh of utter contentment. 

The Cardinal closed his eyes as he rested his head against Hetty’s. “I suppose now would be a good time to mention that my door is always open to you. And I am a firm believer in reciprocity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha! now we're getting somewhere


	7. Chapter 7

What surprised Hetty the most was how easily they fell into couple like activities. Copia had casually mentioned it would be best to keep their relationship private which only made total sense to Hetty. She wasn’t sure what Sister Imperator’s reaction would be and she definitely did not want to risk being kicked out and possibly never seeing him again. Instead, they developed their own little rituals. Hetty frequently joined Copia for his meals, which often meant bringing lunch to his office. 

Hetty checked the time and closed her notebook before making her way to the dining hall. She slipped into the kitchen and grabbed a few of the lidded glass containers from the pantry before she began assembling sandwiches from last night’s roasted chicken.

“Hey, Can I help you?”

Turning around, Hetty saw a man that she had seen in the kitchen before. She offered a smile before waving him off. “Oh, no, I’m fine. I’m just making lunch for the Cardinal.”

“What, he can’t come here for lunch?” The man scoffed which immediately cause Hetty to bristle.

She smiled while gritting her teeth. “He’s very busy. Now, If you’ll excuse me-”

“Hey, sorry,” The man held his hands up in surrender. “I’m Brandon, by the way. I just don’t like the idea of him taking advantage of a sister like that. I mean, doesn’t he have ghouls to wait on him?” 

Hetty continued to smile. “I’m not a sibling, I’m the Cardinal’s…personal assistant.”

“Oh! Sorry…” He paused waiting for her name. 

“Hetty.” She looked down at the focaccia rolls waiting to be sliced. “I can move if I’m in your way, but I’d really like to get back to the Cardinal.”

“No, you're fine. Do you want any help?” Brandon continued to offer a friendly smile.

“No thank you,” Her face was aching now as she forced her face to remain pleasant. “I think I can manage.” 

Hetty quickly added sliced tomato and mozzarella to the sandwiches and grabbed a bunch of grapes before closing the containers and scurrying away. It wasn’t until she’d left the dining hall that she realized that she was holding her breath. With a significant exhale, she laughed at herself. 

Outside of Copia’s chambers, she knocked twice before letting herself in. Sure enough, he was too engrossed in his work to have heard and she walked in unnoticed. After placing his sandwich next to him, Hetty kissed his cheek and began to walk away when Copia cleared his throat.

“Well, I cannot let such an act of kindness go unrewarded.” He waved her over before extending his hand out to her. “Come, join me.” 

Hetty smiled as she took his hand and immediately burst into a fit of giggles as Copia pulled her on to his lap. Letting out a sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder. “I didn’t want to interrupt your work.”

“Ah, a noble thought,” He nuzzled her head before kissing her temple, “But I could use the distraction.”

Placing her hand on his cheek, Hetty guided her lips to his and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before using her tongue to beg for entrance to his mouth. After a few moments, she broke the kiss off and smiled back at him. “Did that work?”

“Cara mia, you have been distracting me since I first laid eyes on you.” Copia placed his finger against her lips before giving her a gentle tap on the nose. “Now, wine. I’m thinking something pink.”

Hetty slid off his lap and went to the small cabinet that housed a wine refrigerator and found a Rosé that she had imagined was placed there specifically for this non-occasion. She poured two glasses and cleared the small table by the window off so they’d have room to eat. Copia soon joined her, placing a sandwich in front of each chair.

“This is lovely, did you make this yourself?” He took a small sip of the wine and closed his eyes as he swallowed.

With a smirk, Hetty knew full well he was laying on the compliments thick for a reason, she nodded. “From last night’s leftovers, Cardinal. It’s nothing special.”

He cleared his throat, a nonverbal correction.

“Pardon me,” Hetty tilted her head in recognition. “Enzo.”

With a nod of approval, he smiled. “Henrietta, I don’t care if they are leftovers, any meal with you is sublime.” 

“Ok,” She laughed as she gave his calf a slight nudge with her foot. “What is it? You need something or want something…what?”

Copia raised his hands while his elbows rested on the table and shrugged. “Two things, actually. First, we’ll be holding our first mass together, the ghouls and I, followed by the Yule feast. I’m speaking for all of us when I say we’d love for you to attend.”

“Of course. Absolutely.” Hetty was slightly confused as to why the Cardinal seemed hesitant to ask but then she remembered he’d said two things. “What else?”

He cleared his throat again, this time as a stall tactic. “I need to attend a ministry gathering and will be away for four days.” 

“Ok.” Hetty pressed her lips together and smiled as if to reassure herself. “Ok. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s not necessarily you that I’m concerned about.” He cleared his throat again. “I have grown to like having you by my side, it puts me at ease.” 

Hetty smiled at him nodding before she reached out for his hand. The Cardinal gave it a light squeeze before retracting it.

“Right. More wine?”

Hetty nodded, laughing to herself. Every now and then, Copia would slip and share more than he wanted to. They had made progress though because he no longer retreated from contact as he would in the past.

The pair finished their meal and took a stroll around the grounds before Copia returned to his work. On her way back to her office, Hetty got word that Sister Imperator was looking for her. She debated going straight away to Imperator’s or if she had a few minutes to fix the zipper on Dewdrop’s trousers. No one could tell her how but he had managed to mangle the zipper within half an hour of him trying the finished product on. Ultimately, she decided that it would not be in her best interest to keep Imperator waiting.

Hetty walked on and passed a few different groups of sisters and it struck her that in her few months at the abbey, she never really developed any friendships within the congregation. It made sense, she was separated from them in most aspects and spent her days either working by herself, helping Copia, or hanging out with the ghouls. Most of the time, it didn’t bother Hetty but there were times it seemed as though some sisters held it against Hetty.

“It’s Hetty, right?”

She turned to see Brandon again and offered a slight smile. “Yes…Brandon?”

“Yeah,” He smiled broadly. “Just wanted to see if you’d be attending mass. I’d be happy to show you around after.”

Hetty lifted her eyebrows. “I’m not sure yet, I’ll have to see if I can make the time. Sorry, but I don’t want to keep Sister Imperator waiting.”

“Oh yeah,” Brandon laughed as he agreed. “Better go in!”

With a nod, Hetty excused herself and knocked on the door before stepping into Imperator’s office. “You asked for me, Sister?”

“Ah, yes, Miss Blakely.” Imperator looked up from behind her reading glasses. “I wanted to check in and see how you were getting on with the Cardinal.”

She wanted to sigh in relief but Hetty settled on a smile instead. “Very well. We’ve found a wonderful…partnership.”

Hetty needed to stop herself from smirking. Part of that partnership was finding that Copia’s sweet spot of productivity and relaxation came from Hetty’s penchant for cock warming. She’d be on her knees under his desk while he worked away with her head resting on his thigh. The Cardinal was initially hesitant as he didn’t want a dom/sub dynamic to take over their relationship but when Hetty explained that the act actually helped with her meditation, he embraced the idea.

“Wonderful.” Imperator smiled but Hetty could tell that she wasn’t exactly happy. “I did want to make sure you were not allowing yourself to become too comfortable with the ghouls. They can be horrid creatures when they wish and quite frankly they are better suited as servants to the clergy and not social peers.”

Now she did smirk. “I can see why they’d be horrid to you if that’s the attitude you hold towards them.”

“Miss Blakely, if you wish to stay in the abbey I’d advise you to reconsider the way you speak to your superiors.” Imperator’s face displayed a scowl Hetty hadn’t seen before. “Even if the Cardinal enjoys your many carnal talents. That is all.”

Hetty froze, something Imperator picked up on. “Nothing is kept secret from me in my abbey. You’d well to remember that. Now leave.”

Once Hetty was dismissed, she found her mood had soured considerably. Normally, she’d go to Swiss to vent but he was nowhere to be seen. When she found she was out of tea in her apartment, she sulked down to the dining hall to find some and hopefully a bite to eat as well.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Hetty turned to see Brandon bringing her what looked like a charcuterie tray. “It’s just been a bit of a shitty afternoon, that’s all.”

“Ah yeah,” Brandon offered a wink. “Happens to us all now and then. Want to join me and some of the lads for dinner?”

With a sigh, Hetty pressed her lips together. “Thanks for the invite but Aether is making dinner tonight.”

“Aether? The quintessence ghoul?” He pulled a face but then stopped himself. “Didn’t know you where a ghoul fucker.”

“Excuse me?” Making no attempt to hide her distaste, Hetty visibly recoiled from Brandon.

He scrambled to save face. “It’s just…that’s what we call the siblings that go after the ghouls. I didn’t realize that was what you were in to.”

“I’m not.” Knitting her brows, she was still trying to make sense of the conversation she was somehow a part of. “They’re my friends and I adore them. They are sweet and kind, not some object to be fetishized.”

“They also regularly injure and kill siblings when they get carried away.” It seemed like he was coming from a place of genuine concern. “They shouldn’t be allowed to mix with humans.”

After being told twice within the span of a few hours that she shouldn’t be friends with the ghouls, she wanted to retreat even more into their world and ignore the other humans. Hetty smiled to herself at the thought of she and Copia surrounded by a pack of ghouls and their kits. 

Aether had made an amazing chicken Florentine for dinner and between the food and the wine, Hetty found her mood was lifting. Except for the fact that Swiss was still absent. 

“S’wrong, love?” Aether poured her more wine. “Haven’t seen you this lost since you first came.”

Hetty let out a laugh as she covered half of her face with one hand. “It’s just been one fucking annoying afternoon.”

“Right, right.” Aether nodded as if he knew the feeling. “And both of your lovers are gone.”

Now she frowned, choosing to ignore the insinuation that there was more than just friendship with Swiss. “At least I know where the Cardinal is. I haven’t seen Swiss at all.”

“He gets sent on errands sometimes, we all do. I wouldn’t worry about it.” He ruffled her hair as he pulled Hetty int a single armed hug. “Could always join the pile if you want some company.” 

With a smile, Hetty kissed Aether on the cheek before she stepped back. “That’s very sweet of you, but I think I just want to wallow for a bit tonight.”

“I get it, Love.” He tapped her nose with his knuckle. “I’ll send our errant ghoul your way when he turns up. But he’s probably going to go to you first anyway!”

Hetty helped with the washing up and then bid them all farewell as she went back to her apartment. After dozing for a bit, she found herself in that tricky spot of being right on the edge of a deep sleep. Rolling over, her body met another solid object and she jolted awake, scrambling to sit up at the same time.

“Jesus, Swiss!” She hit him with her pillow to wake him as well. “How the fuck did you get in here? Why are you here?”

He groped the air, trying to get a hold of her arm or her hip, anything that would let him pull Hetty back against him. Unsuccessful in his attempt, Swiss groaned as he sat up as well. “Got in late, everyone else was already asleep in the ghoul pile and I wanted to cuddle. didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I don’t,” Hetty sighed as she moved closer to the ghoul and encouraged him to lay down with her. “It’s just a little unnerving to wake up with someone in your bed when you weren’t expecting it.”

Swiss rested his head against Hetty’s chest and sighed while wrapping his arms around her waist. “Do you miss him?”

“Mhmm.” Hetty’s voice was small as she responded, but she gave him a slight squeeze.

“Yeah?” If it was daylight, Hetty would have recognized his smirk as he turned in her arms and gently nudged his leg in between hers. “How much?”

She inhaled sharply as she felt his thigh against her. The next thing Hetty knew, Swiss had his hands on her hips, bringing her astride his thigh and providing just enough friction to peak her interest. Lacing his fingers in-between her, Swiss gave a slight nod as he pressed their palms together. “Go ahead, babygirl.”

Hetty pulled her hands away and rested them on his hips, closing her eyes as she slowly began to grind against his thigh. Letting her head fall back, a small whimper escaped her lips. Seeking more friction, Swiss shifted on to his side as he pulled her closer.

“Just…” Hetty inhaled sharply before letting out a moan. “Ok, yeah, that’s…there.”

Hetty became aware of Swiss’s rapid breathing but it was his pupils and the way that they turned distinctively feline that told her he was close to getting off too. She straddled his hips and began to grind against him.

“Fuck,” He panted as he gripped Hetty’s hips tighter, encouraging her to move faster. He sat up and clutched Hetty against him as he left out one final groan, grazing his teeth along her neck.

Laying back, Swiss laughed. “Oh, I’ve made a mess of myself. Didn’t realize I’d need a change of pants!”

“Sorry,” Hetty’s mouth turned downward in a sympathetic pout as she tried not to laugh herself. “Let me get you some pajama pants at least.”

Once Swiss emerged from the bathroom dressed in pants decorated with llamas in space suits, Hetty smiled and invited him back to her bed. “I guess I needed that.”

He pressed his forehead against her neck and seemed to wrap his entire body around her. Hetty drug her fingers up and down his spine before tracing them along his back and shoulders. She did it twice before Swiss realized they were deliberate and distinct strokes.

“What are you doing?” Swiss looked up at Hetty, a strange curiosity in his eyes.

“Oh, sorry,” She shrugged. “It’s just a little habit I have, my grandmother used to…before I went off to school in the morning, she would fasten my necklace for me and then trace a little shape on my back. She said it was just to keep me safe.”

Swiss sat up and held up one finger. “Hang on.”

He got up from the bed and walked over to where Hetty had a little table and chairs set up. Hetty watched him rummage around, bewildered as to what he could possibly be looking for. She thought about offering help but he triumphantly held up a pen and a small note pad before returning to bed.

“Draw it.”

“What?”

He nodded. “What you traced on my back, can you draw it on the paper?”

Closing her eyes, Hetty took the pen and drew a straight line down before moving back to the start of the line and making a curve to the left about halfway down. She then shifted the pen up slightly and made a curve to the right down the rest of the length. Jumping back up to the top, she drew three horizontal lines, the first two crossing over the vertical while the third traveled all the way through the left curve. 

Swiss took the piece from Hetty and chuckled to himself as he shook his head.

“What?” Hetty was completely bewildered now and slightly hurt that Swiss was laughing at something she held so dear.

Leaning forward, Swiss placed a small, apologetic kiss on Hetty’s forehead. “I’m laughing at myself, I can’t believe it took me this long.”

“You’re going to have to fill me in on it because I know fuck all as to what you mean.”

“It’s a sigil.” When Hetty simply returned his statement with a blank stare, he elaborated. “You’re a witch. That’s why you’ve got a different scent.”

Hetty raised an eyebrow but resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Right, let me just go pull my cauldron out of the cabinet.”

“I mean, you’re obviously not a practicing one but it’s probably in your bloodline.” He gently coiled and uncoiled his tail around her ankle. “I’m guessing that’s why you were brought here.”

She scoffed at that. “I wasn’t brought here, I applied and interviewed for the job.”

“Mhmm.” Swiss gently raked his claws along Hetty’s bare thigh. “How did you find out about us?”

As soon as he mentioned that, it clicked in that the email about the stitcher position had reached her by mistake. Then there was the comment from Sister Imperator that there were no coincidences.

When Hetty frowned, Swiss knew she had figured it out. “Relax, kid. It just means you’re one of us.”

“I don’t know.” She had stopped stroking his horn now, her thoughts taking over her concentration. “I have a hard time understanding how you seem to know so much more about me than I do.”

He dug his claws in just slightly, letting Hetty know that he wanted her to continue, rewarding her with a purr once she did. “I only know as much about you as you tell me. I guess about the rest.”

Swiss didn’t have anything else to add but instead, he twisted on to his side and wrapped his arms around Hetty’s waist, purring as he nuzzled into her shoulder.

Hetty was surprised to find Swiss was still wrapped around her when she woke up especially as he was wide awake. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Do you really think I’m a witch? What does that even mean?”

“Yes.” He stretched his arms out and Hetty noticed his tail did the same. “I think it manifests in your sewing and it's also why I've imprinted on you.”

Pressing her lips together, she raised an eyebrow. “What exactly does that mean that you’ve imprinted on me?”

“Not a lot more than you already understand.” He stood to stretch now, Hetty felt a little quiver in the pit of her stomach as his ab muscles flexed and the v of his groin was visible. “I mean, you know I’ve marked you and it just means that I’m more intensely bonded to you. I’m kinda a mess as a ghoul since I don’t really have an element so it makes sense that I’d veer towards the unconventional.”

Hetty stood and wrapped her arms around him. “Why is this so confusing?”

“What’s confusing about it?” Swiss rested his arms on her shoulders and began nuzzling her head. “I thought I explained it pretty well.”

She shook her head. “Not what’s going on…I’m just confused with everything I’m feeling. I love being with the Cardinal, I love…him. But then there’s you.”

“Babygirl, are you hitting on me now?” Swiss laughed, but he gave her a squeeze to let her know he appreciated her candor.

He felt Hetty sigh as she shrugged. “It's just that if I had to choose between the two of you-”

“Who said you have to choose?”


	8. Chapter 8

Hetty sat up to turn off her alarm but immediately flopped back down on her bed. Over the last few days, she had realized things about herself and about what life at the abbey might really mean and it all seemed to manifest itself at night when she desperately wanted to sleep. Eventually, Hetty trudged into the bathroom and put the minimum effort into getting ready for the day. The Cardinal wouldn’t be back until tomorrow so there was no need in her mind to wash her hair or even put on makeup beyond her mascara. While brushing her teeth, Hetty’s eyes fell upon the jar of beach glass shards, a growing collection of tiny gifts from Rain, that she kept on the window sill. She immediately smiled until her mind went back to Imperator’s warning and made a mental note to ask Copia if Imperator could actually kick her out.

When Hetty stopped in the dining hall for her coffee, she saw Brandon chatting with a few sisters and her mind went to work on how she could avoid being seen by him. Taking a step back, she moved out of the doorway and saw Dewdrop heading in the same direction.

“Good morning, Dew.” Hetty smiled at him but made sure to not be too cheerful. Receiving a small grumble in return, she nodded. “You wouldn’t feel like causing a little bit of chaos, would you?”

Dewdrop straightened. “Why? What did you have in mind?”

“I wanted to get some coffee but I also don’t feel like dealing with Brother Brandon.” She gestured towards the cause of her predicament and watched Dewdrop’s eyes blaze.

“Hold my mask.”

Hetty smiled as she watched Dewdrop skitter up and down the rows of tables, running across some and hissing at anyone who dared get in his way. Once pandemonium was in full swing, she snuck in and quickly poured herself a large mug, tucked Dew’s mask under her arm, and made her way to Copia’s office. 

The Cardinal never instructed Hetty on what he needed from her. Instead, she watched what he did, what he was working on, and somehow picked up how she could be most helpful to him. While he was away Hetty had started cataloging his copies of past sermons and then filed them according to subject. She was now in the process of making a cross-reference including dates and which Emeritus brother wrote and or delivered the sermon (it amused Hetty to see the difference in tone from brother to brother). 

With her notebook open on the desk, Hetty was taking and color-coding notes when she heard the door open.

“Have you come to get your mask?” She called out, assuming it was Dewdrop.

As soon as Hetty heard the familiar chuckle, she leaped up and sprinted towards the door. As she crashed into the Cardinal, he let out a little oof but immediately wrapped his arms around her.

“Somehow I get the feeling I was not who you were expecting.” Copia giggled again as he rested his head against Hetty’s.

Pressing her face into his chest, Hetty took a moment to breathe in his scent, something that had become a great source of comfort for her. “Enzo. You’re home.”

“I was able to sneak away early.” He kissed the top of her head before taking a step back and placing his hands on her shoulders. “I missed you, my love.”  
Hetty could only nod, wanting nothing more than to pull herself back against him. Copia grazed his thumb over the small mark on her neck before placing a small, almost chaste, kiss on her lips.

“I see someone has been attending to you.” He smiled proudly which immediately put Hetty at ease. “I’d ask you who I need to thank but I have a feeling I already know the answer.”

Her voice caught in her throat as she attempted to answer. “There…there was some dry humping. It didn’t mean-”

“My darling Henrietta,” Copia tutted as he took her hands in his. “I’d be a fool not to see how close you and your ghoul have become, it is only natural that you two would continue to bond.”

Hetty moved her gaze to his in an attempt to gauge his reaction. “You’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset?” He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “Unless if you are planning on replacing me-”

“No!” Hetty surprised herself with how forcefully her reply came causing Copia to laugh again.

“Well then, that’s settled.” Copia walked further into his office and took his biretta off, placing it on a hat stand. “Enjoy your liaisons with Swiss and know that my bed is large enough for three should he wish to do more than simply view our copulations.”

Watching as he removed his cassock, Hetty still felt conflicted and was compelled to reassure him. “I love you, Enzo.”

Copia turned back to Hetty without bothering to put his suit jacket on. “Come, my love, let us sit and have a chat.”

He gestured towards the leather sofa that sat in front of one of his built-in bookcase shelves. Once they were both seated, Copia placed his hand on Hetty’s thigh. “I am getting the feeling this is your first venture outside of monogamy, yes?”

“I guess I’m pretty boring in that aspect.” Hetty smirked but she knew he could sense her insecurities rising to the surface.

The Cardinal shook his head. “Cara mia, here at the church we do not condone one sort of behavior over another but instead encourage our followers to pursue what makes them happy. Emeritus the third was rather infamous for his promiscuity while I am far from that. There is nothing boring about knowing what you are comfortable with. That being said, I firmly believe in physical displays of love and affection.” 

“But what are you comfortable with?” Hetty moved so that she was practically in his lap now. “We should have some agreement there, right?”

He nodded. “Agreed. I have no issue in sharing your affection with a ghoul, specifically your ghoul. I am not sure that I would feel the same if it came to another person.”

“I think that’s more than fair.” She nodded. “For me, anyway. What about you?”

The Cardinal shrugged. “Well, let us simply say that I will thank my ghouls when they have been well behaved.”  
Hetty nodded before her eyes widened. “Oh!”

Her reaction got a laugh out of Copia who leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I cannot let you have all the fun now, can I?”

“That reminds me,” Hetty frowned. “Imperator basically told me that I need to stay away from the ghouls. I was kinda sassy back to her and she threatened to kick me out after she insinuated that she knew about us.”

Copia stapled his fingers before pressing them against his lips. “Yes, well, Sister and the ghouls have a complicated relationship. Perhaps you don’t flaunt your friendships with them but I wouldn’t worry about being kicked out. You’re far to important to her plans.”

Hetty smiled but she began replaying her conversation with Swiss about being why Imperator brought her in. It seemed like the more she learned about herself the more convoluted her place at the abbey became. With a sigh, she pushed that thought from her mind and snuggled against Copia. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“I know, my love.” He placed his hand back on her thigh. “I am as well.”

A knock at his office door got the attention of the two of them. Giving her thigh a little squeeze, he stood to answer it. When Copia opened the door, Hetty could see that it was a ghoul, but it wasn’t one of his. Instead, while this ghoul wore a mask and suits similar to those that she was familiar with, it seemed as though it was a different interpretation of the same basic idea.

“Ah! Hello, Ifrit. It’s always nice to see you.” Copia took a step back and held his arm out. “Would you care to join us?”

Although his voice was muffled, Hetty could still hear the ghoul. “No thank you, Cardinal. Sister Imperator has asked to see you. She wishes to welcome you back after your travels.”

“Of course, of course.” Copia clasped his hands behind his back and nodded. “Please tell her I will be along shortly.”

Once Copia had closed the door, he sat back down next Hetty and sighed. “Apologies, my love, but I fear this will not be a short visit.”

“It’s fine, Enzo.” Hetty smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “I have a few final things to make sure all the ghouls are ready for mass tomorrow.”

Hetty stood and handed the Cardinal his suit jacket, helping him into it before giving him one final kiss. 

Copia walked down the corridors, hands still clasped behind his back and head bowed, rehearsing in his mind how he would answer Imperator’s questions.

“You took your time, Cardinal.”

Copia heard her before he even stepped into her office. “My apologies, Sister. I came as soon as I was able.”

“Yes, well,” Imperator put her pen down and gestured towards the chair across from her desk. “Imagine my surprise to hear that you had returned early from the gathering.”

“The final day was to be dedicated to the bishops. I simply was not needed.” Copia experimented with a few different positions before he planted both feet on the floor and folded his arms across his chest.

Imperator smiled. “Of course you must have been eager to get home to your little pet.”

“Of course.” He agreed but offered nothing more.

Her smile turned into more of a smirk. “It would be a shame if you lost her affection to that mongrel ghoul of yours.”

“I’m not concerned.” Copia adjusted one of his gloves, remaining nonchalant.

“Well, I am concerned.” Imperator’s voice turned sharper now. “Have you managed to impregnate her yet or not?”

He hesitated for a moment. “Not that I am aware of.”

“Why not?” She practically slammed her fist against the desk.

Copia shrugged. “These things can take time. It’s not for a lack of trying.”

“Cardinal, I practically hand you a gift-wrapped young witch with the expressed purpose of providing an heir to the church.” Imperator regained her composure. “You have seen Papa, you know he cannot hold on forever. Perhaps we need to find a different candidate.”

“No.” The Cardinal stood to excuse himself. “That will not be necessary.”

When he returned to his office, Copia found Hetty sitting in the chair by the window in his bedroom. Her lap was covered with black fabric but it didn’t seem like the fabric of his suit or the ghouls’. As he moved closer, it became clear that she was finishing an embroidery of some sort.

Hetty realized that Copia was studying her and a flush appeared across her cheeks. “I was just finishing up…I made something to wear tomorrow night…for mass and the feast.”

“May I see?” He gave a slight nod as Hetty held the garment up but soon clarified his request. “May I see it on you?”

“Oh, um, ok.” Hetty stood and laid what turned out to be two separate pieces on his bed. “Just give me a moment.”

Copia sat in the wing chair opposite the foot of his bed and watched as Hetty began undressing.

She hesitated for a minute before looking at him. “I usually wear my fancy underwear when I know you’re going to be seeing them.”

“Do not mind me, my dear.” Copia waved her off. “This may be a rare occasion but I am more interested in what you are about to put on.”

He smiled at her matching orchid purple bra and panties, making a note to compliment her on the shade later. Even as she shimmied into the skirt, Copia could tell it was going to be very form-fitting. Hetty stopped with the skirt once she had pulled it up past her hip and slipped the blouse over her shoulders and began buttoning it. She smoothed the shirttail into the skirt before she finished button the collar that stood almost up to her chin. Between the ruffles and the satin tied high collar on the short-sleeved blouse and then the embroidered panel on the pencil skirt, her ensemble had a very romantic quality. The Cardinal stood and helped her to zip the back of the skirt before he took her by the hand and encouraged her to turn in a slow circle.

“Henrietta,” He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure if I want you to keep this on or to take it off.”

He took a finger and traced it along the skirt’s embroidered panel before he moved behind her and rested his palm on her abdomen. “My only complaint is that I do not have access to your lovely neck…but I have also heard that good things come to this who wait.”

Hetty leaned her head back against his shoulder and sighed. “You’re going to have to be patient. I have a lot of work to get done before tomorrow.”

“Ah, I see.” Copia stood back and nodded before walking around to face her. “I see. You are wishing for me to beg. I can beg. See? Down on my knees I go.”

Covering her eyes in mock exasperation, Hetty couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “Enzo, I’m not asking you to beg, I literally need to redo the inseam on Aether’s pants.”

By now Copia had crouched down and was wrapping his arm around Hetty’s leg and resting his head against her thigh. “A valid point, but you see, I am already down here and it would save you time to let me be just a little attentive.”

“Card-” Her voice caught in her throat as she felt his hand grazing higher along the inside of her thigh. “My skirt! I can’t mess up my skirt.”

Keeping his hand in place, he stood and began to nuzzle her neck. “A very good point. We’ll take it off then, yes?”

By now, he had slipped a gloved finger inside her underwear and was slowly stroking up and down her clit. Hetty gripped the lapels of Copia’s coat in her fists as she rested her head against his shoulder. Suddenly he pulled his hand away. “We should remove this, yes?”

“Yes!” Her breaths became more akin to pants as she furiously clawed at her back in an attempt to find the zipper.

“Allow me to help you, my love.” Copia removed her skirt in one motion, pausing only to give her a playful nip on her ass. When he stood, he turned his attention to her blouse. “This is…we should remove it as well?”

Hetty nodded, becoming impatient with the way the Cardinal was insisting on dragging things out. She felt her cheeks grow warm as he removed her bra. Whenever they’d had sex before, the Cardinal’s room was dark and she had never been fully naked in front of him. Hetty wasn’t happy with her body and was now starkly aware of all of her perceived flaws - her pale skin, her thighs that would never have a gap between them, and her soft tummy. She felt her shoulders round as she lowered her eyes away from Copia.

Naturally, he picked up on this shift in her demeanor. Taking her hands in his, Copia took a step back and smiled. “Botticelli must have had you in mind when he painted Venus.”

“Enzo,” Hetty scoffed, “You’re laying it on a little thick now.”

“Hey kid, you in here?” Hetty froze when she heard Swiss call out. “I’m looking for Dew’s mask. Imperator’s been chasing him around the abbey threatening to string him up by his tail if he doesn’t put it back on.”

The Cardinal smirked as he raised an eyebrow. “I do believe he said he’d like to watch. Shall we invite him?”

It took Hetty a minute to decide but she bit down on her lip and nodded. Copia returned her smile with a nod and called out to Swiss. “We’re in here, my dear ghoul. Please come join us.” 

When Swiss walked in and saw Hetty standing completely naked and eyes trained on the floor while Copia held her hand, he stopped short. “You ok, babygirl?” 

Hetty looked up to him and nodded, holding out her hand to him. Once he had placed his hand in hers, she gave it a squeeze and kissed the back of it.

“Have a seat,” Copia gestured towards a velvet tufted chair that sat diagonally from the foot of the bed. Once he knew Swiss was settled, he turned his attention back to Hetty and began with her hand, kissing up her arm only stopping once he got to her neck. “You are absolutely beautiful, my love. Wouldn’t you agree, Ghoul?”

Swiss shifted in his chair and nodded. At first, Hetty thought the whole situation was making him uncomfortable, yet as she watched him, she soon realized it was a growing erection that was causing his discomfort.

“Come, come. I must have you in my bed.” Copia scooped Hetty up and moved the few steps to his bedside before laying her down not quite in the middle. He kissed her lips before placing one single finger on her chin, dragging it slowly down her neck and sternum. Once he reached her navel, he added his other fingers before trailing his whole hand down, cupping her folds in his hand. He returned his lips to hers as he pressed one finger into her, just teasing her clit with his thumb. 

Hetty moaned and arched her back, the sensation of his leather gloves completely foreign and uniquely tantalizing. Copia placed a trail of kisses along her collar bone and neck before stopping at her ear. “I think…” his statement punctuated with a heavy breath, “…your ghoul wishes to join us.”

Hetty’s skin burned under his touch and while she knew he was speaking, she couldn’t make sense of the words at first. Head tilted back, she finally opened her eyes and looked in the direction where she recalled seeing Swiss last. One hand gripped the arm of the chair while the other rested on the prominent bulge in his pants. Keening as he palmed himself, highly aroused and wanting to touch and be touched by a hand other than his own. 

Unwinding herself from the sheets, Hetty held her hand out to him but could only manage a whine to get his attention. Swiss stood and cautiously approached, Hetty’s hesitance to engage in any sort of intimate activities with him still lingered in his mind. At first, he took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze, when she squeezed back, He moved it to rest on his erection. Hetty rubbed her hand along the length before fumbling with the button, eventually giving way to Swiss who managed it with one swift movement. He lowered his pants just enough to free his now throbbing cock from the confines of his trousers as he took a step closer to Hetty, resting one knee on the bed.

Hetty took hold of him but immediately cried out as she felt Copia’s tongue enter her. She lazily pumped her hand up and down his shaft as she tried to force herself to concentrate on Swiss instead of Copia. She lolled out her tongue in silent invitation while Swiss moved closer, dragging his cocked across her lips. Copia continued his licking and sucking, Hetty’s moans then offering an exquisite vibration around Swiss’s cock in her mouth.

Copia could tell Hetty was edging closer and closer to her climax by the way she squirmed around him. Instead of letting up, he gripped her thighs tighter and slipped two fingers inside of her. Her back arched as she whined, Copia remained relentless in his pursuit of overstimulation despite Hetty having reached orgasm. Swiss had moved away from Hetty only to straddle her hips. He knew there was no way she’d be able to focus on finishing him but he didn’t mind simply jacking off over her chest, the mere sight of her coming unwound was enough.

As the Cardinal stepped back to admire his work, he noticed that Swiss had moved behind Hetty, lazily stroking her arms while letting her recuperate while lounging in the v of his legs. Copia placed a kiss on Hetty’s lips and smiled proudly when she opened her eyes to look at him. “You did wonderfully, my love.” 

“Thank you for taking care of her, Ghoul.” Standing up straighter, he kissed Swiss on his forehead. “Now, how about a nice bath to get everyone squeaky clean?”


	9. Chapter 9

Hetty had never attended regular church, even as a child when her parents were still alive. That being said, she had no idea what to expect at the black mass tonight. She had read over previous sermons and she knew there would be a musical element involved but aside from that, she found herself looking forward to seeing Copia and the ghouls at work. The entire abbey seemed to be looking forward to mass as well. The corridors were bustling with siblings and ghouls alike, some interested in seeing the new guard, some more interested in partaking of the yule feast to follow. 

“Hey! Hetty!”

Once she heard her name called, Hetty turned back to see Anne running to catch up with her. She stopped and smiled, waiting for Anne to catch her breath.

“I just saw some of Copia’s ghouls.” Anne straightened her habit but indicated that they would keep walking. “Those are your designs? They look amazing.”

Hetty beamed at the compliment. “Thanks. I thought they suited their personalities.”

“Listen, I wanted to check in with you to make sure you knew about the feast.” Anne pulled Hetty into an alcove of the narthex before they entered the cathedral so they could hear each other better.

Hetty gave an impatient nod. “Yeah, I know, I’ve been told about it.”

“So you’ve been told about the orgies then?” Anne pressed her point, guessing that Hetty wouldn’t be quite so blasé otherwise. When Hetty turned her full attention to Anne, her suspicions were confirmed.

Anne nodded and continued. “Optional, of course.”

“Of course.” Hetty laughed nervously, her thoughts now swimming in her head. “Who…I mean, how many…”

“It depends.” Anne gave her a sympathetic smile. “I just thought, I don’t know if Copia will participate but I can tell you’ve got a thing for him, it might be your opportunity.”

Hetty covered her hand with her mouth to stop from laughing. “Am I that obvious?”

“It’s cute.” Anne shrugged to reassure her. “Not to get your hopes up cause I don’t think he’s as much of a slut as Papa was but he definitely watches you.”

Offering a thumbs up as she didn’t really know how else to end the conversation, Hetty smiled again. “Thanks for the heads up, I’m going to go in now.”

When Hetty entered the chapel, she instantly smiled at Cirrus and Cumulus, bathed in blue light, playing their keys in the style of an organ. Taking a seat in the pew, Hetty smiled proudly and looked around to see if she could the other ghouls. It took some searching, but she could eventually see them towards the back. A few were hidden behind Mountain’s drum kit, but she saw Aether fixing Rain’s collar only to have Rain play a light-hearted trick in return.

“You look amazing.”

Being so focused on the ghouls, Hetty hadn’t noticed Brandon take a seat in the pew next to her. Still, a compliment was a compliment and she smiled warmly. “Thank you.”  
“Listen,” He shifted slightly closer to her. “I really need to apologize for offending you the other day. I just seen too many ghouls, not saying the ghouls you know but in general, be reckless and I’ve lost friends that way.”

Hetty pressed her lips together but eventually conceded his point. “I can understand why you’d feel that way but I’ve never felt anything but safe in their company.”

“Agree to disagree then?” Brandon shrugged, hoping to change the subject. When Hetty didn’t answer, he turned his full attention to her only to realize that she was completely enthralled with Copia who had now taken the pulpit.

Copia moved freely about the chancel and seemed to command everyone’s attention. Hetty marveled at how confident he seemed, even when his goofiness made its way to the surface. When the time came for the ghouls to play, Hetty didn’t know where to direct her eyes as they were all so enigmatic in their own ways. Even Mountain was more animated than she was accustomed to seeing him. It wasn’t until Hetty realized that Swiss was getting a lot of attention for his seductive movements that she felt the pang of jealousy.

Once the service was over, Copia and the ghouls were swarmed by the congregation and Hetty found herself drifting towards the back of the great hall. Of course, she was happy that they had been received so well but all she wanted to do was to go and hug each of them and let them know how proud she was of them. Hetty watched on as they all took a seat at the clergy table and the kitchen staff began to serve them, the rest of the congregation began to take their seats and would be served once they were all settled. 

Brandon had caught up to Hetty by this time and placed a hand on her elbow. “We’re over here, c’mon.”

She relaxed a bit when she saw Anne sitting at the long table just a few seats away. Large platters of various meats were placed sporadically along the tables flanked by plates of roasted vegetables, bread, and dipping oils. Food was heaped on to her plate from every direction but Hetty struggled to consume even the smallest portion. Instead, she drank the cider which went down smooth but hit her hard on a predominantly empty stomach.

“You, um,” Brandon had leaned over to speak in her ear. “Up for the festivities after?” 

Hetty gave a slight frown as she shook her head. “I’m going to head back to my apartment after dinner. You be sure to enjoy yourself, though.”

It surprised her how easily Brandon accepted that answer but he was soon off and mingling with the rest of the siblings. Hetty thought to herself that she should probably do the same as every time she caught sight of the Cardinal, his table was continuously surrounded by a new group of people.

“Can’t let you leave empty-handed!” Brandon came back around and handed her another mug of the cider.

Gladly accepting it, Hetty offered a little nod of thanks. “I’m not leaving yet, just trying to take everything in.”

“Right, right.” Brandon slipped an arm around Hetty’s waist which made her pause, but for some reason, she didn’t remove it. “Hey, have you met Brother Simon?” 

Hetty became aware of her breath first. Then came the throb in her head. 

It felt as though someone had removed her brain and replaced it with cotton. Her limbs were too heavy to move and when she did manage to manipulate her body into some form of movement, everything ached. Finally, after what seemed to be ages, she was able to sit up.

Fast asleep in the wing chair by the fireplace was the Cardinal. His body was slumped somewhat diagonally in a position that screamed discomfort.

“En-” Hetty cleared her throat when all that initially came out what a squeak. “Enzo?”

At once, Copia jolted awake. “Yes, Sister. I have the sermon ready.”

That got Hetty laughing but she was immediately reminded of her headache. “So this is the second time I’ve woken up in your bed without any knowledge of how I’ve gotten here.”

“You don’t have any memories of the evening?” Sitting up taller, Copia appeared to be concerned now.

With a frown, Hetty pulled from the recesses of her mind but couldn’t even remember leaving the Yule feast.

“Perhaps that’s for the best, then.” He pursed his lips and steepled his fingers against them before continuing his train of thought. “We’ve discussed before how Swiss has a tendency to keep an eye on you and last night was no different. Regardless of you feelings on the situation, I’m glad he did so last evening.”

Her skepticism was peaked now. “What are you talking about, Enzo? What happened?”

“Are you familiar with a Brother Brandon? He typically works in the kitchen.” Copia gestured to the space on the edge of the bed. “May I?”

Hetty nodded but appeared to become frustrated. “Of course, it’s your bed, please sit. I’ve spoken to Brother Brandon a few times. He has an issue with the siblings intermingling with the ghouls but he’s remained civil.” She paused for a minute as if she was running through what she could remember of the evening. “I was sitting with him at dinner, he was going to introduce me to someone named Simon.”

Copia was listening intently but interjected. “Do you recall what you were drinking last night?” 

“Just the cider.” Hetty felt a blush come across her cheeks. “I was waiting until I was…I wanted to bring a glass of champagne to you but you were constantly surrounded.”

He nodded, looking weary just from the memory. “I would have appreciated that more than the constant beckoning of various members of the congregation. Anyways, it was a good thing that Swiss was watching because he saw Brother Brandon slip something into your glass. Within moments, you were incoherent.”

Hetty gasped but Copia placed a reassuring hand on her thigh. “Swiss intervened immediately and got my attention. I left the ghouls to deal with Brandon while I brought you here where I knew you could safely sleep it off.” 

“What happened to Brother Brandon?” Hetty was almost hesitant in asking.

“That, I cannot say for sure.” The Cardinal looked down at the rug. “I can say that I advised Brother Brandon that he would be getting a two minute head start before I sent someone after him.”

Hetty was quiet for a moment. “Who did you send after him?”

“Well,” The Cardinal smiled fondly now. “Let’s just say that Dewdrop had been on his best behavior this past week and I felt he deserved a little reward.”

“Is he dead?” Her voice dropped to a whisper.

A shrug was his initial response. “Again, I simply do not have that answer for you. But Dew is a very skilled tracker. He takes great pride in his hunts.”

Hetty frowned, a pensive look taking over her face, Copia offered a little nod. “Our congregation takes care of each other. Brother Brandon broke our most sacred rule.”

When her face turned pale and she wouldn’t return his gaze, Copia cleared his throat. “The punishment would have been the same even if you were not regularly sharing my bed. This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with a man behaving despicably.”

Suddenly Hetty’s shoulder shook with a sob as she covered her face. Copia immediately pulled her into an embrace, squeezing her tightly for a brief second before resting his head against hers. “You are safe, my love. Nothing will harm you.”

Hetty buried herself against Copia’s chest and took a few moments to catch her breath before heaving out a great sigh. 

“I don’t know why I’m crying. I’m not sad that he’s dead.” She continued to speak into his chest, the Cardinal missing a few muffled words but still able to understand her. “I mean, I wouldn’t wish him dead but-”

Copia nodded again. “It is of his own doing-”

“…I just wanted to see you…”

“Shhhh,” He stroked the back of Hetty’s head in an effort to console her. “It has been a very long night for you and I’m sure that whatever was put in your drink is not out of your system yet. Please, lay back down and rest.”

Obediently, Hetty situated herself back in his bed but shook her head the entire time. “I don’t want to lay down if you’re not going to be here too.”

“Of course.” Copia stood and stretched before he began undressing. “I’m not feeling up to going the festivities either.”

When Hetty woke up the second time, she somehow managed to feel even worse. With an admittedly over dramatic groan, Hetty flung her forearm over her eyes in an attempt to block the late morning sun. “The one time I actually get to spend the whole night in your bed and it’s because I’ve been drugged.”

Silence. Not even a grunt or the trace of a chuckle in response, her heart sank when she realized it was probably because the other side of the bed was empty. Hetty sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest as her eyes scanned the room. While the Cardinal was nowhere in sight, Hetty was relieved to see her blouse and skirt from the previous evening had been neatly folded over the back of the chair, she really loved the way she felt wearing them and was looking forward to the next time she had an excuse to put them on. Resting her chin in her hand, she contemplated if she had any other option besides a walk of shame back to her apartment.

Through the closed bedroom door, she heard his office door open followed by some muffled conversation, and instinctively froze as if she shouldn’t be caught in the Cardinal’s bed. Suddenly Copia came through the door followed by two elder ghouls carrying trays of food.

Copia stopped short but stepped aside just before the ghouls crashed into him. “My love! You’re awake!”

As Hetty scrambled to remain covered in front of these ghouls that she had not been introduced to yet, he held his hands out in pause. “My apologies, Henrietta. I thought you would still be asleep. Ghouls, thank you very much for your help. Please leave the trays on the table and be on your way.”

He crawled on to the bed and laid down beside her, resting his head in Hetty’s lap. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a fucking truck.” Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the headboard as she stroked his hair.

Sitting up, the Cardinal nodded in agreement. “Naturally. I brought breakfast but perhaps a nice bath is in order before that?”

Hetty kept one eye closed as she looked at him. “Can I have some coffee first?” 

“Of course.” He smiled and gave her a pat on the head as he stood. “Would you like for me to make you a cup?”

“Thank you, Enzo, but I can get it.” She went to stand but remembered her nakedness and was still hesitant to allow him to see her in full daylight. 

Copia smiled and leaned in to kiss her. “Again, I will tell you that you are beautiful. But perhaps this is a perfect time to give you a little gift.”

Copia walked to his wardrobe and pulled out a hanger with a pewter grey robe on it. “It’s silk-charmeuse, I thought of you as soon as I saw it. Plus…” Untying the robe, there was a matching chemise. Both pieces had the same light grey floral embroidered lace along the cuffs and hem. 

Taking the robe off of the hanger and laying it on the foot of the bed, he then did the same with the chemise. After encouraging Hetty to stand, he slipped the chemise over her head and smiled. “Ah, bella.”

Hetty laughed to herself and shook her head, prompting a from Copia.

“You don’t like it.” The Cardinal nodded as he spoke as if he was trying to process Hetty’s thoughts.

Taking a step forward, Hetty placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him before offering him a smile. “I love it, Enzo. I’m just laughing because I’m imagining the looks I would get walking back to my apartment wearing this.”

“Oh, well, Aether did bring you some joggers and one of those things he calls a hoodie.” Copia smiled eagerly. “Would that help?”

Hetty sighed and leaned into Copia as she nodded. “That’s very sweet. From both of you.”

Copia wrapped his arms around her shoulders and just held her for a moment before she stepped away and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Perhaps…” He shrugged and gestured vaguely before continuing. “Perhaps it would be prudent for you to keep a few pieces here that you could wear if you needed. I have plenty of space in my wardrobe.”

“You’re not concerned about what Sister Imperator might think?” Hetty already knew that Imperator was aware of their relationship but she was curious as to how Copia would handle it.

Again, he hesitated. “You could say that Sister would be pleased to learn of our liaisons.”

Hetty put her mug down on the table. “What does that mean? I thought you didn’t want her to know about us?”

“Sister is under the impression that…if our relationship were to become fruitful…” Copia cleared his throat. “She wishes us to continue the bloodline of the dark architect.”

Her lips parted slightly but it took a moment for Hetty to find the words that she wanted. “So this is all because of Imperator? It has nothing to do with me as a person, I’m just a means to an end.”

“No, Henrietta.” Copia’s voice was surprisingly firm. “I never intended, I do not intend to go along with Imperator’s wishes. In fact, I tried my best to keep you at a distance. However, we came to an impasse of sorts, where it was obvious to me that you wished to pursue something and I found that I could no longer push you away.”

Hetty stood with her back to him, silent.

He cleared his throat again. “My love, what are you thinking?”

“I don’t know.” She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Copia approached Hetty, stopping once she was within an arm’s reach. “I will go run that bath for you then.”

Hetty sat down and looked at the spread of food in front of her but realized she had zero appetite. She was obviously irritated that Sister Imperator saw her as nothing more than a pawn but now she was questioning if she should continue to trust Copia.

“Where is everyone?” Hetty stayed in her chair but called out to the bathroom, hoping Copia could hear her. She felt a little lurch in the pit of her stomach when he emerged with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“I assume you’re speaking of the ghouls?” He dried his hands on a small towel. “I believe they are resting after their own feast. The bath is ready for you now.”

Draining the last of her coffee from the cup, Hetty stood and made her way to the bathroom. Copia hovered in the doorway for a moment. “I have some work to do, I’ll be at my desk if you need me.”

It was after he had turned to walk off that he heard her. “Enzo…if it’s all the same to you, would you please stay with me?”

“Of course, my love.” His body remained rigid, but Hetty could hear the relief in his voice. “I would do anything for you.”

Suddenly, Hetty wrapped her arms around his neck and heaved out a great sigh.

“I should have told you sooner,” Copia allowed his fingers to weave through Hetty’s hair. “I knew your talents would be invaluable to us and I didn’t want to scare you away from the abbey.”

Copia could feel her nod against his shoulder. “I’m still trying to understand everything about this place and now come to find out I’m supposed to birth the antichrist.”

“If it helps,” He had begun to trace his fingers along her spine now, “I don’t believe that to be true.”

Hetty stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “That does help, actually.”

“Good.” The Cardinal beamed back at her. “Now into the bath before it gets cold.”

He slipped the chemise over her head, holding her hand for balance as she allowed herself to sink into the tub. The water was a cloudy gray with sprigs of lavender and chamomile and was just hot enough to lull her into a more relaxed state. Hetty noticed that Copia had folded a towel over a few times and placed it at the back ledge which allowed her to use it as a neck rest. As she was getting acclimated to the temperature, Copia pulled a little stool over and sat next to the tub. Picking up her hand, he began to massage some oil into her hands and arms.

“This is Neroli oil. It is very useful in relieving inflammation and lowering stress.” He paid particular attention to her wrists before moving on to her shoulders. “Hopefully this will help you to…decompress.”

“Did you mean it, about keeping some clothes here?” Hetty spoke languidly, keeping her eyes closed.

It put him at peace to see that Hetty had relaxed a bit, Copia smiled knowing that she was enjoying this. “Of course, Henrietta. I’d have you move all of your personal things here if that’s what you wanted.”

A little smile formed in the corner of her mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Once she was ready to get out, Copia brought her the hoodie and joggers to change into. By now, Hetty was feeling more settled and was ready for a portion of eggs, bacon, cheese, and whatever else she could find that she typically turned to when she had a hangover. With hair still damp from the bath, sat with the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up close to her chin.

“I will never understand the appeal of those hoodies.” Copia looked across his coffee cup at her. It was less a criticism as it was an observation and fortunately for him, Hetty realized that.

Putting down the clementine she was peeling, Hetty shot Copia a playful glare. “You wear a fucking cape.”

“Duly noted.” He nodded, appreciating someone who would call him out on his bullshit. “What are your plans for today?”

Hetty gave a slight frown, running through her mind if she had agreed to do anything with anyone. “Not much. You had given me the day off.”

“Yes.” He nodded as though reminding himself. “Of course. I was simply curious if you’d made plans or if you’d care to join me on a walk around the grounds.”

With a smile, Hetty sighed and Copia immediately went on the defensive.

“Of course, if you had something else in mind-”

“Enzo,” Hetty’s tone was patient as she interrupted him. “I would love to spend the rest of the day with you but I’m not sure I’m up for much walking right now.”

The relief was immediately evident on his face but he quickly composed himself. “Ah, of course. You have had quite a few past hours, haven’t you?”

The pair finished their breakfast and set off for Hetty’s apartment to get her a decent change of clothes. Copia chattered on, a sort of bubbly excitement in his tone, completely oblivious to the rest of the abbey. Hetty noticed the way that other sisters looked at him and then at them and she decided to send a message. Slipping her arm around his, Hetty glanced out of the corner of her eye to gauge his reaction. When Copia placed his hand over Hetty’s arm, she smiled quite smugly knowing it was made quite clear to the others that she was the only object of his desires.


	10. Chapter 10

“Why are you so fucking stupid?” Dewdrop threw a handful of popcorn at the screen.

Rain, who was seated on the sofa next to him, hissed and swatted at Dew with his tail. “Can you stop for one minute? I want to watch the movie.”

“But why the fuck would you run upstairs to get away from the knife-wielding murderer?” His response came as a whine. “Get the fuck out of the house, dumbass.”

From across the room, Swiss threw a gummy bear at Dewdrop prompting Dew to snarl and launch himself at Swiss. Aether was quick to catch Dew by his tail and plant him back down on the sofa once Rain had scrambled out of the way. “Enough!” He rumbled, practically sitting on top of Dew while shooting a glare at Swiss.

“I just want to watch the movie.” Rain repeated himself now having wrapped himself around Mountain.

Swiss grumbled as he sank back into his seat. Sitting next to him, Hetty looped her arm around his and snuggled in, playfully chiding him in the process.

“You going to spank me if I don’t behave?” He smirked, turning his head towards hers. “What do you think? 10 on each cheek?”

Rolling her eyes, Hetty playfully pushed him away. “If you don’t let me watch this movie no part of me will be touching you.”

“Ugh. FINE!” Swiss pretended to pout as he flung himself across Hetty’s lap.

Once he sat up, Hetty gave him a pat on the head followed by a kiss on the cheek. “Good boy.”

Hetty ended up spending the rest of the movie on Swiss’s lap, hiding her face in his shoulder when the jump scares got to be too much.

“Ok, kid.” Swiss stood, picking up Hetty at the same time. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

Dew snickered. “When the Rat’s away, you two get to play.”

“Not only when he’s away. He usually joins us.” Swiss smirked before aiming an air kiss at Dew.

“Ok, enough.” Hetty wrapped her arms around his neck before wiggling out of his hold.

Copia returned from his meeting to find Hetty and Swiss sound asleep. He sighed wearily as he began the process of undressing, kicking his shoes off and unbuttoning his suit jacket. Whenever he saw the two of them together, Copia always felt a pang of jealousy. Part of him felt that Swiss represented everything that he was incapable of being and he often wondered if Hetty would grow tired of him in favor of Swiss. He stood for a moment, debating if he even wanted to join them.

“No,” He mumbled to himself. “I will be sleeping in my own bed tonight.”

Copia slid himself under the duvet, looking forward to finally getting some rest. His eyes had been closed for maybe a moment before he felt Hetty tuck herself against his side.

“I missed you.” Her voice was just above a whisper, heavy with sleep.

He sighed again, placing a small kiss on the crown of her head. “I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“S’ok.” Hetty let out a yawn as she snuggled in. “Wasn’t really asleep.”

The Cardinal felt himself smile. “Does this mean you’ve forgiven me?”

“You never needed to be forgiven, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Opening her eye to look up at him, she draped an arm across his waist. “But, I trust you.”

He kissed her head again before squeezing her shoulders. “Oh, my love, you have no idea what it means to hear you say that.”

“So…”

Hetty jumped when Swiss spoke.

“Do you want me to leave? I kinda feel like I’m intruding now.”

Copia laughed softly. “No, Ghoul, you may stay.”

By now it was clear that they were all wide awake. Hetty flung her arm behind her and groped at the air until Swiss moved within her grasp. Swiss laid his arm over Hetty’s hips and moved himself closer until Hetty was sandwiched neatly between the two of them smiling like the cat that got the cream.

“How was your meeting?” Hetty felt herself relaxing as Swiss’s purr reverberated against her chest.

He hesitated for a moment. “It was good…productive. But I’m afraid you might not be happy with the outcome.”

Swiss propped himself up on his elbow now. “What’s going on?”

“The band project has been well received by the elders.” The Cardinal sat up now so that he could see both of his bedmates as he spoke.

Even in the shadows cast by the night, he could see Hetty’s face brighten. “Enzo, that’s fantastic. I’m so proud of you all.”

By now Swiss had rolled over on to his stomach with his feet in the air, crossed at his ankles. His tail twitched curiously. “That’s good news, why wouldn’t Henny Penny be happy with that?”

“We’ve been chosen to step up recruitment efforts.” Copia shrugged. “We’re going on tour.”

“That’s amazing!” Hetty smiled brightly until it clicked in, then her face fell. “And you’ll all be going. For how long?”

Copia nodded, acknowledging that her response was expected. “Three months. Give or take a few days.”

Before either of them knew what was happening, Swiss put himself in-between Hetty and Copia, a low growl coming from his throat.

“Ghoul,” Copia spoke, but there was the slightest tremble in his voice. “You need to remember where you are.”

Shaking his head, Swiss practically wrapped his entire body around Hetty. “Not leaving her.”

“Sw-” Hetty squirmed, his grasp bordering on being uncomfortably tight. “Swiss, it’s fine.”

When he realized he was hurting her, Swiss scrambled back and wrapped his arms around himself. “Sorry. That was weird.”

“Uh, yeah.” Hetty looked at him skeptically. “You ok there, bud?”

Scratching his head, his shoulders slumped. “I’m gonna go ahead and go now.”

Hetty didn’t necessarily want him to leave but his reaction worried her.

When Swiss got back to the ghoul’s quarters, only Mountain was still in the common area.

“I didn’t expect to see you until the morning.” Tending to his Brugmansia, Mountain’s back was to the door but he still acknowledged his arrival.

Swiss flopped down on the sofa and sighed. “Yeah, I kinda fucked up. I could handle it if I just did something stupid but I flipped out and I don’t know why.”

“What did you do?” Mountain laid his pruning shears in the window sill and turned to face Swiss. “Both the Cardinal and Hetty are very fond of you, I can’t see anything being beyond forgiveness.”

His head dropped as he gave a slight shrug. “I’m worried that I hurt her.”

Mountain strode silently over to the couch and sat down on the edge of the cushion.

“Copia said we're going on tour for like three months.” Swiss twitched at the reminder. “I just, I dunno, I didn’t want to be away from Hetty for that long.”

Folding his hands in his lap, Mountain nodded. “Because you’ll miss her.”

“Not because I'll miss her, well, yeah, I’m going to miss her but how am I going to keep her safe if she’s here and I’m not?” By the end, he was clicking his claws together out of sheer agitation.

Mountain frowned, leaving a long silence in the air before responding. “Is she with kits?”

“Kits? What the fuck, Mountain?” Swiss stood and started pacing now. “I thought you said that ghouls can’t get humans pregnant!”

He nodded as he crossed one leg over the other knee. “That’s correct, I misspoke. A human kit is called a baby. Does she have one?”

“I…have no idea. Is that relevant?” He had stopped pacing by now and was more interested in what Mountain had to say. It was well known amongst the ghoul population that both Mountain and Aether had the most knowledge when it came to ghoul/human relations but Mountain had the ability to present this information without giving any sort of judgment.

Mountain shrugged impassively. “If you’ve imprinted on her like you believe you have, then it would only make sense for you to be overprotective if she is…pregnant. That’s the word I was looking for.”

By the time morning had rolled around, Hetty went looking for Swiss. She started with the ghoul’s quarters then worked her way around his normal haunts. It wasn’t until she made it to the edge of the forest that she found him, resting against the trunk of an ancient tree. Hetty walked over and sat down next to him, took his hand in hers, and smiled.

“Hey.”

Swiss looked up, somewhat surprised that she had sought him out.

“You ok there, bud?” Tilting her head to the side, Hetty was attempting to lighten his mood by repeating her question from last night.

Letting out a sigh, Swiss rested his head on her shoulder. “Did I hurt you?”

“At most, it was uncomfortable.” She rested her head against his. “It was mostly that I’ve never seen you do that, I’ve never heard that kind of noise come from you.”

“Did I scare you?” His voice came off as timid, something she’d never thought she’d describe him as and it crushed her.

Hetty wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. “It startled me because I wasn’t expecting it. I never felt like I was in danger or that you would hurt me.”

Swiss groaned and flopped himself over in Hetty’s lap. “I’m sorry.”

“All is forgiven.” She reached under the hem of his shirt and tickled his stomach. “Now, I know you’ve got practice and I need to put together some extra suits for everyone.”

“Uggggh,” He rolled over off Hetty’s lap. “Don’t make me work.”

Hetty stood and held her hands out to Swiss, helping him up off the ground. “C’mon. Think of all the impressionable minds you’ll be seducing with the power of your hips.”

“Ok, you’ve convinced me. But I’m going to worry about you being here all alone.” Swiss pouted as he allowed Hetty to drag him back to the abbey.

She smiled and shook her head. “It’s not like I’m actually going to be alone, there are literally hundreds of people here. I’ll be fine.”

Once Swiss was escorted to the rehearsal space, Hetty retreated to her office where she spent the rest of the day stitching and sewing. By the time she was halfway through, her shoulders and back ached and she could barely move her fingers. After packing up her office for the night, she trudged back to her apartment. One look at her bed and she shook her head. Even if Copia was otherwise engaged, Hetty knew she’d much rather sleep in his bed.

Hetty tossed her tote bag on the bed and opened her wardrobe. She kept her chemise and robe set in the Cardinal’s room, it made the most sense as he benefitted the most from seeing her wear them. When Hetty’s eyes fell on her simple black wrap dress, it sparked an idea.

When Hetty walked into his office and found him seated behind his desk, she smiled and knew she had found her opportunity. Nudging his chair back, she straddled his lap and leaned in to give him a kiss before smiling sweetly.

“Hi.” Copia laughed but there was just a hint of nerves behind it, he had no idea what Hetty was up to.

Taking his hand, Hetty kissed his fingertip and then directed it to tug at the lowest point of her dress, where the two pieces met and formed a v, to reveal delicate satin strapping that followed the contours of her cleavage. Copia looked back up at Hetty who continued to smile but also added a little shrug, a dare to find out what else she was hiding. Copia traced the straps with his finger before gently tugging at the tie that secured her dress. Biting his lip, Copia studied the bra, if you could call it that, Hetty was wearing.

The cups were made of a fine mesh and there were three straps identical to the ones tracing her cleavage that ran diagonally across her breasts while three more intersected those. Where straps met, there were rings and the whole thing zipped up the back giving it a distinctively bondage feel.

He brought his eyes up to meet Hetty’s, bottom lip still tucked between his teeth, and smiled. “Perhaps this is worth needing to wait the entire day before seeing you.”

“Perhaps.” Sitting up straighter, Hetty took his hand again and let it rest at her waist. “There’s more.”

Hetty slid off his lap and stood up, waiting to see if he would do the same. Without breaking eye contact, the cardinal stood and moved his hands to her shoulders, gently pushing her dress off. Once her dress fell to the floor, he knelt down to retrieve it, sliding his hands up and down her thighs as he took in the sight of her matching underwear.

With identical satin strapping that sat low on her hips, the fine mesh at the front did nothing for modesty. But when Copia went to investigate where a different set of straps led, he quickly realized that back was completely open.

Copia squeezed Hetty’s backside and caressed her thighs once more before standing to meet her. “We seem to have a bit of a predicament here, I do not know if I wish to undress you completely or live these exquisite undergarments on. Where did you find these?”

"I've had them for a while," Hetty felt her cheeks grown hot as her boldness had left. "I just never had anyone to wear them for."

Suddenly the Cardinal smirked. "Unfortunately, I have far too much work waiting for me to attend to you, my darling Henrietta. I'm afraid you'll have to take care of yourself."

Hetty crossed her arms and frowned, prompting a little chuckle from Copia.

"It is a shame that no one is here to help you." He continued to smirk as he adjusted his collar and sat back down at his desk.

Sitting on the edge of the desk, Hetty continued to pout. "I've been working all day and you're really going to ignore me?"

Copia resumed writing without even looking up at her. "I'm afraid so. Please try not to leave a wet spot on my desk."

A knock at the door caused Hetty to scramble to her feet.

"Go ahead and answer it, my love." His eyes were still on the parchment.

"Enzo!" Hetty hissed. "I can't open the door looking like this!"

He finally looked up and simply grinned. "You'll be fine."

Reluctantly, Hetty walked towards the door and opened it, peeking around the door while hiding behind it.

"Swiss!" Relieved, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside before slamming the door behind him and locking it.

Now it was his turn to smirk. "I feel a little overdressed right now."

"Ah! Ghoul!" Copia stood again and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. "I'm glad you could make it. It seems that our beloved has some needs that need attending to."

Hetty frowned again. She wouldn't turn Swiss away, but really she just wanted to spend some time with Copia before he needed to leave.

"Alright, shoo shoo!" Emerging from behind his desk, the Cardinal waved his hands at the two until they retreated to his bedroom. Hetty thought he might have closed the door behind them but instead, it was left wide open in full view of his desk.

"That's some outfit you're wearing, kiddo." Swiss grinned at her but eventually shrugged. "Too bad it's not for me."

Hetty plopped herself down on the edge of the bed and sighed, squirming slightly to help her bra self adjust. "Apparently the Cardinal is too busy for me tonight."

"What a shame. Do you want me to leave?" Swiss had pressed his lips into a smirk but Hetty knew he was feeling rejected.

Shaking her head, Hetty reached out her hand to him and gently pulled Swiss on to the bed next to her. She looped her arm through his and leaned against his shoulder. "I'm going to miss everyone, not just him."

"I know." He lowered his voice as he kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the bed. "This is a little test for me. One of his rules for me is that I'm not supposed to initiate anything between us."

"Rules…interesting." Pulling her knees up to her chest, Hetty wished she had brought something cozier to change into now. Leaning over, she gave Swiss a kiss on the cheek before she stood and walked back out to Copia's office.

Hetty picked her dress up off his desk and put it back on, making sure to securely fasten the tie. "Well, since you're too busy, I guess I'll leave."

"Leave?" Copia looked up now. "I thought you were planning to stay this evening."

With one hand on the desk, she slipped her shoes back on. "What's the point? I came here to spend time with you, not to be pawned off on one of your lackeys. I'm going back to my place."

"Henrietta, I see what you are trying to say, ok?" Standing, Copia walked quickly to catch up with her. "I was more in the mood to watch which was what I had hoped to accomplish by inviting Swiss."

"So you can watch Swiss jack off then. Next time, try involving me in a conversation about our sex life." Hetty pulled the door shut behind her, nearly catching his fingers in the process.

Copia sat down on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees. "Fuck."

"Yeah, I'd say you fucked up." Swiss emerged from the bedroom carrying his shoes. "I'm leaving too, Rain was rutting against me earlier so I can probably talk him in to topping me."

"Ghoul, wait." He stood and walked after Swiss. "Should I go to her or should I give her space?"

With a shrug, Swiss tried his best to hide a laugh. "Depends on how long you want her to be mad at you."

Frustrated, Copia dismissed Swiss with a wave and then sulked around his office for a few paces before deciding to follow Hetty to her apartment. Standing in front of her door, he glanced down again at the slip of paper he had written the apartment number on before tucking it back into the breast pocket of his suit. He knocked twice and waited, hands behind his back and head bowed. When Hetty opened the door, he simply lifted his eyes.

"Oh, fine, you don't have to look at me like that." Hetty reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him inside before closing the door behind him.

"Henrietta-"

She held her hand up. "Do you understand why I'm upset?"

"I should not be making arrangements about anything without your input." He sighed. "That was inappropriate to say the least."

Folding her arms across her chest, Hetty lifted an eyebrow. "You also don't need to be making your own set of rules for Swiss. If he wants to make a move on me, he should be able to."

Again, Copia reluctantly nodded.

His complete submission tugged at Hetty's heart and she sighed before pulling him into a hug. Pushing him back, she put her hands on his shoulders before kissing his forehead. "Enzo, I agree that there should be some boundaries in place for when and how we involve Swiss but you can't unilaterally make those rules."

"I understand, Miss Blakely."

Hetty placed her hand on his cheek before kissing him again. "I care about Swiss…a lot. And I absolutely adore him but I love you and sometimes I just want to be with you."

"I have been…an imbecile." Copia took Hetty's hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Please forgive me?"

Hetty pulled away before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her forehead against his jawline. "Of course, you big goof."

She stayed that way for a few more moments, enjoying the feeling of having his arms around her. Finally, she took a step back and encouraged him to walk with her. "I was getting ready to have some wine, would you like a glass as well?"

"That sounds lovely, Henrietta." Copia clasped his hands behind his back again and looked around. "I see you've changed."

Handing him a glass of Merlot, Hetty shrugged. "You said yourself you weren't in the mood to do anything so I had no need to wear anything fancy."

The Cardinal was not complaining in any way, Hetty's change of clothes consisted of a well worn band t and boy short underwear. He squinted at the scribbly font on her shirt. "Understandable. Repugnant? Can't say I'm familiar with them."

"It was a gift from Dew, he introduced me to them." She sat down on the sofa, tucking one leg underneath her. "So?"

Copia stood for a moment longer before picking up on Hetty's cue to join her. "Uh, yes?"

"No." Hetty sat her glass down on the coffee table. "So as in why are you here?"

Pressing his lips together, Copia's brow furrowed. "I came to apologize."

"And you did, I accepted, so…anything else?" Hetty searched his face, hoping to find an answer.

"Uhhh"

"Ok." Hetty drank the last of her wine and stood up. "I've had a long day and I'm going to go to bed. You can show yourself out whenever."

"I'd like to spend some time with you," He spoke so quickly that Hetty had to take a minute to make sense of it in her mind. "If that's ok."

Hetty couldn't help but to roll her eyes. "That's why I came to see you in the first place. I'm tired and I want to go to bed but you can join me."

Copia nodded and quickly drained his glass. He followed Hetty to her bedroom and kicked his shoes off in front of her wardrobe. She moved closer to him and smiled as she started to unbutton his shirt. Standing behind him, she gently tugged it off before neatly laying it across the back of the chair.

"Undershirt on or off?"

"Perhaps off." He cleared his throat. "It is a bit warmer up here than in my chambers."

Hetty nodded and pulled it over his head, folding it and laying it on the seat. She unbuttoned his pants and encouraged him to step out of his pants before guiding him over to the bed and tugging his socks off. "Comfy?"

"Very much so, my love." Copia smiled as Hetty turned the covers back and got in on her side. He joined her, pulling the duvet up to cover them before he nestled himself against Hetty, draping his arm over her waist and resting his forehead against her shoulder. Before long, exhaustion caught up with him and he was sound asleep.

_“You’ve been a naughty little mouse, haven’t you?”_

_Hetty sat on her feet, Copia towering over her now._

_“Very, very bad.” Copia took ahold of Hetty’s jaw but slid his thumb over her lips until she parted them and greedily sucked on his thumb. “No, no. I think you need to be punished first.”_

_Hetty let out a small whimper as he removed his thumb and walked away but she quickly stood to follow him. As soon as he moved a chair out from the table, she knew what he had in mind. Copia sat down and smirked as Hetty stood in front of him and unbuttoned her jeans. Sliding her jeans and her panties to her knees in one motion, Copia took her by the elbow and pulled her close enough so that he could put her over his knee._

_Clasping her wrists together in his left hand, Copia gently placed his right hand against her bare ass and slowly rubbed in a circular motion before pulling his hand away and giving it a swat. Hetty stifled a moan as Copia repeated the process a few more times._

_Letting go of her wrists, Copia let his left hand rest on the small of her back. “Do you think you’ve learned your lesson now?”_

_Again, Hetty whimpered._

_“Shhh,” Copia began to stroke his thumb along her backside now. “You know I never leave you like this.”_

_Her whimper soon turned to a moan as she felt his fingers searching and then stroking as they found their intended target._

Just as Copia was about to plunge his fingers inside of her, a police car drove past her apartment, the siren causing her eyes to fly open. Hetty sat up and gasped when she realized that she had been dreaming and that even worse, she hadn’t gotten off.

With a groan, she flopped back down and covered her face with her hands.

She heard Copia yawn next to her as he began to stir. “Whaswrong” he mumbled, still half asleep.

“Just a dream,” She shook her head to herself and closed her eyes again.

“Huh?” Another sleepy response.

Finally, Hetty rolled over to her side and began to rub his stomach before she took hold of him. “I’m horny.”

Now he was awake. “Ok.”

Hetty wasted no time with formalities. She slipped her shirt over her head and sat astride Copia, grinding against him a few times before guiding him into her. She was already so aroused that she didn’t need much time to adjust before she started rocking back and forth, her pace hard and fast.

“Fuck,” Copia exhaled as he grabbed ahold of the slats on her headboard. Part of him was hoping for lazy, drawn out, good morning sex but he soon realized this was not what Hetty needed right now. Either way, he wasn’t going to turn her down.

Hetty’s breathing intensified and Copia moved to grip her hips, pushing himself farther in with each stroke. Feeling an all too familiar sensation building in his groin, Copia willed himself to hold off as much as he could, he wanted Hetty to come first. Eyes closed, her body went rigid then quivered in waves as he released thick spurts inside of her.

Hetty remained on top of him as she caught her breath, eventually pushing her hair out of her face. Gently running his hands along her thighs, Copia eventually encouraged her to lean forward enough for him to kiss her. She eventually slid off to his side but rested her head against his shoulder.

“Good morning to you too,” Copia let out a satisfied sigh as he stroked his fingers along Hetty’s spine.

"Hi," Hetty smiled blissfully as she dragged her fingers through his hair.

Copia returned her smile and gave her a brief kiss. "Was that worth the wait for you then?"

"Enzo," She kissed him this time, "You're always worth it."


	11. Chapter 11

Hetty cracked one eye open before flinging her arm across her forehead. She eventually opened her eyes but only got as far as staring at the fresco on her bedroom ceiling. When she first joined the church, it took her a few weeks to realize that the fresco changed to reflect the time of day. The actual painting itself was made to look like you were lying on the ground and the view was the forest surrounding you. Right now the ceiling took on a pinkish hue indicating sunrise was imminent.

It had been about five weeks since they had left on what was now being called "the band project" and Hetty was starting to become restless. She had long since finished making the sermon cross-reference and she had filed all of Copia's notes. Now she spent most of her time in the library researching the history of the church and various rituals. All in all, it seemed important for her to broaden her knowledge but Hetty found her days had become tedious. Ostara was approaching and with the change of season, there was warmer weather to look forward to as well as everyone returning.

Hetty laid in bed for a few more minutes before sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Taking a few deep breaths, she waited for the room to stop spinning before she stood and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She took her place in the queue but walked past the fruits, frittatas, and biscuits, opting only for coffee.

"Hetty!" Turning around, she saw Anne running up to her. "Hey!"

She smiled warmly as they engaged in their typical hug with an air kiss greeting.

"So," Anne gestured that Hetty should continue walking as she joined her at one of the tables. "I wanted you to hear it from me first, but I'm leaving the church."

Before she could stop herself, Hetty's face fell. "Really?"

"Yeah." She put her hand over Hetty's and gave a squeeze. "My mother has been ill so I've been spending more and more time away and I met someone on the outside. I'm not saying I won't come back, but right now, I need to focus my energy on my family. I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Hetty smiled as she let out a little exasperated laugh. "You said yourself that you need to focus on your family. Anyone that's going to begrudge you that is an asshole and I'll tell them that."

Anne beamed at Hetty before hugging her again. "Yeah, it's not like you haven't pissed off a ton of siblings anyway. I mean, they pretty much blame you for what happened to Brandon."

"Right." Hetty let out a nervous laugh and felt her stomach sink again. She stood up from the table but immediately wobbled, catching herself by holding the edge of the table.

“Are you alright?” Anne looked back at her, genuinely concerned.

With a nod, Hetty brushed it off. “I’ve just been a little dizzy lately. Usually when I stand up.”

“You should probably go see The Doctor.” Anne took hold of her arm to make sure she was stable on her feet. “I don’t think that’s normal.

Hetty frowned at the thought. “How does that even work here? Do I just ask to leave for a few days?”

“No,” Anne was trying not to laugh. “We have a full medical team on staff here. Just go up to the infirmary and set up an appointment.”

“Right. I knew that.” Laughing at herself, Hetty simply shook her head at the complexities that she had yet to learn.

When Hetty walked into the infirmary, she saw a sister sitting behind the desk, the only thing distinguishing her from the rest of the congregation being a name tag with a small red cross on it.

“Hi,” As Hetty got closer, she could see that this sister’s name was Abby. She wanted to laugh at all the potential ‘Abby/abbey’ jokes but held her tongue. “I wanted to make an appointment to see a doctor.”

Sister Abby looked up and smiled as she pulled a large book in front of her. “Sure. What for?”

“Um, dizzy spells. I’ve been getting lightheaded and I can’t seem to pinpoint the reason.” A door opening caused Hetty to turn her head sharply to the left. Bracing her hand on the desk, she had hoped neither Sister Abby nor the new sister that just came in had noticed.

“Sister Elizabeth?” Abby turned around. “Is The Doctor seeing patients?”

Elizabeth nodded. “He’s got about an hour free right now.”

Abby turned her attention back to Hetty and indicated she should follow Sister Elizabeth.

As the walked through, Hetty saw a man sitting at a desk with his back to them. Dressed in a black cloak, he didn’t seem any different than the rest of the congregation except for the fact that he wore a wide-brimmed hat. Hetty found it slightly odd that he didn’t acknowledge that anyone had entered the room but she followed Sister Elizabeth to the exam table and hopped up.

“Doctor,” Sister Elizabeth had taken out a clipboard and started preparing a chart. “This is Hetty Blakely. She’s here for…intermittent lightheadedness.”

The Doctor pushed himself away from the desk and wheeled his examination stool over to the table. Hetty had to stop herself from gasping when he was revealed to be wearing a full plague doctor ensemble. He spoke but his voice was so muffled by the mask that she couldn’t make out a single word. Her eyes widened as she turned to Elizabeth.

“What are your symptoms?” Sister Elizabeth repeated The Doctor, something she appeared to do frequently.

Hetty nodded as if she was acknowledging that Elizabeth would be serving as her translator. “Just the dizziness. And fatigue.”

The Doctor spoke again, pulled out what seemed to be a long stick, and pulled a tray close to him.

“He’s going to draw some blood.” Sister Elizabeth had left the table and was now pulling out three different glass syringes.

Closing her eyes, Hetty breathed in deeply and tried to steady herself as the tourniquet was tied on but the thought of having her blood drawn three different times brought the wooziness right back. This whole ordeal was starting to seem absurd, she was probably just anemic and everything would be fixed with some iron tablets. Yet, her she was, communicating to some medieval creature feeling like she was going to pass out.

“Eyes here, please.” It was Elizabeth again. She was standing next to Hetty, obviously distracting her from the process going on to her left. “Once you’re finished, I have some juice and cookies here for you.” 

She felt the rubber tube being loosened before it flung itself off her arm, a gloved hand then placing a square of gauze over the puncture. Sister Elizabeth handed her a glass of strawberry peach juice and put a small plate of ladyfingers next to her. The unusual combination of the two only added to the ridiculousness of everything but it did well to distract her, Hetty reasoned. She saw The Doctor inject the syringes into three different vials before putting a few drops of liquid, three different colors in all, into each and swirling it around. Nothing happened with the first two but the third changed color from the typical deep red to an almost purple. The doctor said something to Sister Elizabeth who then recorded it on Hetty’s chart.

Sister Elizabeth waited patiently for Hetty to finish. “You’re pregnant, that’s all. The dizziness should subside in a few weeks. You may also experience nausea and vomiting as well. I’m going to make you an appointment with our midwife and she’ll be able to estimate how far along you are. Until then, make sure you take one of these every morning.”

"Fuck," She flopped down on her bed and covered her face. "Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck."

As she lay there, all Hetty could think about was how things were going exactly the way Imperator wanted them to. It felt as though external forces had predetermined the outcome of her life. Suddenly the urge to get lost in the woods surfaced again only now it was particularly appealing because no one would come looking for her.

Her phone dinged reminding her of the appointment with the midwife.

Hetty was relieved to find the corridors mostly empty as she traveled to the midwife's office. It surprised her that out of all the things she was concerned about, Copia not being there wasn't one of them. In fact, she felt like he didn't need to know until she had considered all her options and then made her decision.

"Let's start with a basic exam and then we'll go from there."

Hetty kept her eyes closed through the whole process, following any directions obediently but staying perfectly still otherwise.

The midwife smiled patiently before she started. "I'm going to say you're about eight weeks along. Judging by your demeanor I'm guessing at the very least this wasn't planned?"

"No." Hetty gave her head a slight shake, keeping her responses simple.

"Ok, so you are not too far along for ritual termination if that's something you want to consider." She smiled again. "I have to ask, was this consensual?"

"Yes, completely." She inhaled sharply. "This was apparently the entire reason I was brought here."

The midwife tried to appear sympathetic but it was clear she didn't know what Hetty was talking about or how to respond.

"What is a ritual termination?" Hetty asked, but was sure she would regret it.

"Simply put, it is a typical medical abortion but the remains are used in blood sacrifices." When Hetty's eyes widened, she nodded. "Those are only performed when the fetus isn't viable. Otherwise, participation in blood sacrifices needs to be voluntary."

She cleared her throat. "If I wanted to leave the church, how would I go about that?"

The midwife nodded before looking Hetty directly in the eye. "Do you feel safe?"

"I…don't think the father wants to harm me." She swallowed, fully aware she was about to make herself sound like a lunatic. "I'm worried that the baby might harm me."

Hetty was again met with a stare but this time, it was more skeptical. "Why do you think that?"

"Imperator believes I'm going to give birth to the antichrist." As soon as Hetty said it aloud, she regretted it.

"Have you spoken to the Cardinal about this?" The midwife crossed her legs and leaned forward. "He has a vast knowledge of the occult and might be able to offer you some insight into what the abbess actually meant."

She sighed and nodded before forcing a smile. "I suppose that wouldn't hurt."

"Of course the Cardinal is away for a few-"

"I know." Hetty interrupted. "When should I make a follow-up appointment?"

She spent the next few weeks laying low. Between a lingering sense of abandonment and the overall feeling that her body was no longer hers, Hetty guessed she wouldn't be pleasant company. There was a small going away party for Anne which Hetty attended but only for long enough to give Anne her well wishes. As Copia's return became imminent, Hetty's own internal conflict seemed to consume her. She desperately wanted to see him but she was so uncertain how he would react to her pregnancy.

Hetty had heard rumblings throughout the church that something had happened at the last ritual that was going to upend the church.She knew they were home, but she had yet to see any of them. That is, she had yet to see any of them to speak to them. A few of the ghouls had been bustling around but as soon as she called out to them, they immediately ducked out of sight. Hetty tried to remind herself that they had just returned and it was probably just that they needed a few days post ritual to return to normal. It was when she saw the Cardinal striding confidently through the dining hall with a gaggle of sisters at his heels that her heart sank. He had new robes. He had his skull paint. He was finally Papa and everyone knew but her.

Returning to her apartment, Hetty sighed as she rested her hand on her stomach, something she avoided doing when other eyes could see. Now, she was not even sure if she fit into his plans moving forward. Sitting on her bed, Hetty's thoughts returned to the option of leaving. This could be her chance for a clean break.


End file.
